I'm Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 185

Suddenly, I remembered what Anata had told me before we left the island.

“They worshipped him as if he was a god. He’s a thousand-year-old archmage, so why not serve him? But he was drunk on his own glory, convinced that if he could make the experiment a success, his thousand years would pay off, but I beg to differ. This experiment is only to do them good.”

“You don’t think they’re using you?”

Jenas stared at me, unable to comprehend my words.

“What do you mean?”

“Anata said it. That you’re being used by the Peony Blossoms, and that the success of the experiment is only to do them good.”

“Ha.”

He snorted in amusement. Then he burst out laughing very loudly. I think my family would come running at this rate.

“Hahahahaha!”

Jenas suddenly stopped laughing, the silence between us quite eerie. I swallowed dryly and looked at him to see his reaction.

Jenas smiled at me. “You said something funny. Well, the affairs of this world weren’t Anata’s responsibility, so maybe she thought so, since she had no idea how I’ve been dealing with them for a thousand years.”

“……how have you been dealing with them?” I asked cautiously.

Jenas stepped closer to me, his gaze wandering over the box in my hand. Then, out of the blue, he said something out of context.

“Margaret, who do you think made the magic stones that the Peony Blossoms have?”

His question made me grip the box I was holding. Feeling Janas’ gaze dart downward, I quickly opened my mouth to deflect his attention.

“Kayden told me, the Rohade family developed it……”

“Ah, let me repeat my question. Who belongs to the Rohade family that developed the magic stone?”

I don’t see the point of his question. Jenas is the founding patriarch of the Rohade family, so does that mean that the Rohade family developed the magic stones with his permission?

But even if Jenas knows all about the magic stones, there’s nothing he can do now.

“The Rohade family developed it, under my direction, and the components came from Alea Island.”

Does he mean the components are the spirits of dead test subjects? That’s creepy.

“I only gave 15 to the Peony Blossoms, but there may be more on Alea Island.”

Jenas whispered to me in a vaguely seductive tone. It sounded as if he was urging me to go and check, as if everything was hidden on Alea Island.

I narrowed my eyes and thought. I suppose it would be a good idea to go to Alea Island to see if Jenas is right……

After all, if Diego and his brother found the island, that in itself would be proof of the kidnapping, and I would have to take some of the leading nobles with me as witnesses.

But……

“You said something funny. Well, the affairs of this world weren’t Anata’s responsibility, so maybe she thought so, since she had no idea how I’ve been dealing with them for a thousand years.”

I remembered Jenas’s words a moment ago.

Could it be that he had somehow managed to directly control the Peony Blossom faction?

Like, for example, with…… this very magic stone?

Come to think of it, no one lives for a thousand years except for Jenas and Anata. Even the Peony Blossom faction, who are probably just normal humans, have changed hands dozens of times in a millennium.

I found that a little odd. Do villains usually pass on a task they can’t accomplish in their own lifetime, and do they do it with the help of another villain?

But if they were being manipulated by Jenas, it makes sense. Maybe that’s another role for the magic stone.

All the more reason to destroy it.

“You look like you have a lot of questions, but I don’t plan on answering any of them.”

“Then don’t speak in the first place.”

It was the same as on the island, when he spoke as if he was going to tell me about the mother of monsters, but didn’t finish the story.

My resentment toward Jenas was building.

Every time I look at him, I’m reminded of Alea Island, and that dark, heavy feeling washes over me in layers, suffocating me. This will not end until Jenas is dead.

I hope that soon, every last shred of his soul will be gone.

“Margaret. I told you, I want you to survive. No, you have to.”

My heart sank even more as I listened to his last words.

Why is he acting like this to me?

His last words, without context, lingered in my mind like a sting.

***

I wrote a letter to Enoch and Kayden to let them know about what Jenas said last night.

Kayden would probably realize what Jenas was doing when he woke up, but it was better to tell him now, even though Jenas would read the letter while inside his body.

As soon as I’m done with the birthday party, I’m going to see Diego and his brother, who are searching Alea Island.

‘I need to see if Jenas is right.’

I can’t do that now that I have a birthday party to attend.

Returning to the Floné estate, I was kept busy. Kayden had agreed to come with the wizards from the Magic Tower to put a protection barrier around the Duchy of Floné, since there were going to be a lot of people arriving.

‘There will be a lot of guests.’

Since I had invited them myself, I had carefully checked the rooms they would be staying in.

As I went upstairs, the butler handed me a package with a letter.

“There’s a letter for you from the Magic Tower Lord.”

I returned to my room and opened the package, which contained Jenas’s diary and his magic research journal.

‘I heard Jenas refused, but Kayden managed to find the diary and send it to me.’

Not that I think Kayden would care if Jenas disapproved. I sat back on the couch and opened Kayden’s letter first.

[……Looks like that old man Jenas had a lot of bullshit to say, but don’t let it bother you too much. Let’s talk about the magic stone on Alea Island when we meet, I’ll be there tomorrow.]

Even if he leaves immediately tomorrow, it will take him two days to reach the Floné estate. It’s a shame it’s so far from the capital city of Burneton.

I closed Kayden’s letter and turned to Jenas’s diary. For something a thousand years old, it didn’t seem to be too worn out thanks to the wizards’ care, with just a few smudges and some discoloration.

There wasn’t much in Jenas’s diary, but it was clear that he had had a fairly difficult childhood.

He and Anata were born to a baronial family in the Kingdom of Ingram, and even during the persecution of people with no mana, his family did nothing for him. It was then that Anata began to feel a great deal of guilt toward Jenas.

Maybe that’s why they came up with the Alea Island project.

[A world where magical power (mana) and divine power have been completely eradicated. Without these innate powers, humans would have been able to achieve greater progress on their own.

But the people with mana of this land are all idiots, so they don’t even try. So I have to help.

I’m working on a way to collect all the mana in the world. I plan to teach the pathetic ones myself. This is not revenge for the past. No.]

I stared at the statement in Jenas’s diary with a somewhat grim face.

I don’t like villains with stories. Having a story doesn’t excuse what they’ve done.

What I wanted to know was, what was the outcome that Jenas really wanted? I’m not interested in his story.

He said he wanted to take control of an entire dimension. What makes him any different from those who persecuted him? In my eyes, he’s just as evil.

I flipped through the diary and closed it, pulling out the magic research journal this time.

It was apparently created before the Alea Island project began. It contained various records of Jenas’ research.

However, it doesn’t mean there was no mention of Alea Island.

[Anata designed Alea Island, and the structure she created is very interesting.]

These words were followed by a list of letters with unknown meanings. It seemed to be some sort of magic formula.

[Evidence needs to be destroyed. Automatic explosive devices should be added to the island.]

I looked at the scribbled notes and tilted my head. I don’t know what an automatic explosive device was, but if there was one, why did Anata want to use the pendant to blow up the island?

Oh, wait, Alea didn’t completely blow up. There are remnants of it, and that’s why Diego and his brother went to find it.

The words bothered me a bit, but with the experiment over, I didn’t see anything wrong with it.

[If I ever encounter a living being from beyond the dimension, I will surely not miss it, for it will play a very important role in fulfilling my purpose.]

And I paused for a moment at the next note.

A living being beyond this dimension. You don’t mean me, do you?

That phrase was on the last page, so there was nothing more to read. I closed the journal I was holding. I don’t think there was anything in there that made me say, “I have to write this down.” It’s all in the past.

I mean, it was unlikely that Jenas would have jotted down any great secrets or important information in a book, where it could be easily accessed by future generations.

When this is all over, I think I’ll take a trip. It would be fun to travel with Yuanna, my first friend.

I put the diary and research journal I was holding in a drawer.

‘I got nothing.’

Instead, my mind became dizzy.

***

This morning, the workers at the Floné Castle were a little excited about the news of the visit of the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hestia.

Crown Prince Enoch and the Magic Tower Lord were expected to arrive at the castle early, but Crown Prince Hestia had beaten them to it.

A visit from a famous princess from another country. The maids were all excited, but they couldn’t show it for fear of Margaret.

‘I heard that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hestia doesn’t like Lady Margaret,’ Rosemary’s exclusive maid, Mia, thought to herself as she waited for the crown prince to arrive.

‘Or so I’ve heard through the grapevine.’

Tilting her head, Mia joined the other maids as they lined up at the entrance of the castle to greet the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hestia.

Arthdal, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hestia, was a very flamboyant man. In his white, gilded robes, his red, fluttering feathers, and his white fox fur trim, he was a bit over the top.

His pink hair and drooping eye corners made him look even more sly and laid-back.

And the eyepatch he wore over one eye stood out like a sore thumb.

“Thank you for coming to the Floné estate, Your Highness. I didn’t expect you to come so early, so I didn’t know if you’d enjoy the hospitality.”

Duke Flone, looking elegant, stepped forward and bowed to Arthdal. His greeting was followed by the Duchess, Innis, Rosemary, and finally Margaret, who looked up at Arthdal.

“It’s been a long time, Your Highness.”

“Don’t you think your greeting is too stiff?”

Arthdal smiled and clapped his hands together in a cheerful gesture.

“Duke, I have come running to see my Margaret as soon as possible, and I would like to speak with her in private, so I beg your pardon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”

Everyone stared at him in stunned silence. Margaret, on the other hand, looked at Arthdal expressionlessly, then looked back at the Duke and Duchess with an apologetic expression on her face.

“I will speak to you in the parlor.”

At Margaret’s words, Arthdal lifted his chin and dropped a bomb-like comment with natural grace. “Rather than the parlor, I would prefer to see your chambers, but is that too much to ask?”

“This bast……! I mean……. I’m sorry, there are many ears to hear.”

Mia tilted her head, thinking she’d heard a swear word or something, but hoping she’d misheard it.

In any case, Margaret’s last words were barely heard, as she gritted her teeth and glared at Arthdal.

Though she was sure there would be some sort of rebuke for Margaret’s rudeness, Arthdal laughed heartily, as if in amusement.

“Hahahaha! Is it okay to say such things if there are no ears to hear? You are so funny! The Flonés must be very happy, living with such a young lady, hahaha!”

A moment of shuddering silence followed, with only Arthdal’s mirthful laughter filling the castle.