The lineup of noble ladies gathered here was quite splendid.

Of course it was. Our grandmother and elder sister Delphia had secretly selected the noble ladies as if summoning their very souls.

‘Melpyrn is a prominent figure in high society, and has been wanting to see you for a while, honey.’

‘Huh?’

‘She’s someone who can’t resist cute things, you know.’

…Grandmother showed her boldness by referring to a prominent socialite as merely ‘someone’.

‘Hmm, how about Lady Yoren? She specializes in dynamite, in bomb-making. Let’s bring her along in case we need to blow something up.’

‘Oh my…’

‘She’s not hot-tempered, so it should be fine.’

And so Delphia’s friend, the dynamite developer Lady Yoren, joined us.

After the lineup was decided, Delphia and Grandmother put their heads together and began to ponder.

‘Do you know anyone in the holy power field, Delphia?’

‘What about the merchant guild?’

‘A pharmacist would be good too. Just in case.’

‘The list of guardians seems mostly ready. Who should we choose for the last one?’

Including the genius pharmacist Melang, Marchioness Melpyrn who wields considerable influence in high society, Delphia’s close friend and genius magitech engineer Lady Yoren, Lady Cynthia who has holy power but declined to become a saint, the commoner-born tycoon Mandel who built a major merchant guild, and…

‘No matter how I think about it, they might interfere.’

‘You think they’ll interfere?’

‘Yeah! So… legally.’

As soon as I finished speaking, Grandmother let out a deep sigh.

‘That’s right. Since they used legal loopholes at first, they might try to use legal loopholes again this time.’

‘So… someone in the legal profession.’

Delphia said, slightly parting her lips.

‘How does a five-year-old know the term “legal profession”…’

…she said, making me a bit flustered.

Anyway, we found one.

Delphia and the Duchess’s network was truly a golden network.

“What law are you talking about?”

Count Myursha, a law major and Imperial Constitutional Court justice.

Whether she was angered by someone daring to use the law to block my path, veins popped on her temples.

“W-well…”

“Speak. Try mentioning the law in front of me.”

These administrative officials must know.

‘Count Myursha used to be a professor at the Academy’s law school, you know.’

If they were capital administrative officials, they must have audited Count Myursha’s lectures at least once.

“S-so…”

The official mumbled in a small voice.

“According to the Imperial Constitution, unless there’s a special clause stating retroactive application, it doesn’t apply retroactively. Isn’t that right?”

Retroactive application meant applying a law to cases that occurred before its enactment. It was quite troublesome because it had to be applied to all previous cases.

So in commercial matters, ‘retroactive application’ was practically impossible.

It was probably the same this time too.

To give an example using my current situation, I had already completed opening a merchant guild.

However, if that law were applied retroactively, I would have to shut down the guild.

If it’s not applied retroactively, I could open a merchant guild as long as I had guardians.

“It’s not even written in the Constitution, yet you dare try to shut down Mirmode’s guild according to your own interpretation?”

“…”

“Should we file an administrative lawsuit?”

The official, Georges, shrank back. He seemed afraid of getting caught up in an administrative lawsuit.

Well, if a lawsuit were filed by Count Myursha, a former Supreme Court justice, he’d have to put his neck on the line as an administrative official.

At that moment, Melang pushed up her glasses and asked the official.

“Tell me. What’s your name?”

As I listened to their conversation, I grinned with my arms on my sides.

I was so glad we brought a noblewoman who knew the law well.

Seeing the official who had remained silent the whole time, I said spitefully.

“It’s Georges!”

Then, I finally spoke sternly.

“Georges, stamp the approval right now.”

At my words, Georges rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.

But…

“Are you not going to do it?”

…he couldn’t withstand Count Myursha’s sharp voice.

He hemmed and hawed, pouting his lips, before finally stamping the approval for my business.

It was the historic moment when Sien Mirmode’s merchant guild was truly launched.

Count Myursha snatched the business registration certificate from his hands and tucked it into my arms.

“Congratulations, little one.”

I beamed with a bright smile and gave a deep bow to all the guardians present.

“Yes! Thank you very much!”

Unlike the junior official who had been under concentrated fire, the section chief was more experienced. He regained his composure, running his hand through his sparse hair, and said.

“Well then, it’s over now, isn’t it? Please leave so we can wrap things up.”

I blinked.

“Huh?”

The section chief looked at me and asked in a slightly pained voice.

“What’s the matter?”

“You know.”

The section chief’s face was turning increasingly red. Not just him, but the junior official beside him as well. Both couldn’t hide their flustered expressions.

“I still have more to say.”

I smiled sweetly.

They furrowed their brows, as if dreading what I might say next. Of course, they didn’t answer, but…

As they remained silent at my words, Lady Yoren, the dynamite developer and Delphia’s friend, gave a nod.

“Open your mouth quickly.”

“W-what is it…”

“Hey now.”

“…What is it?”

As expected of Lady Yoren.

She seemed to specialize in completely crushing any resistance.

Now it was time to deliver the final counter punch.

I smiled brightly.

“What’s this envelope?”

I quickly reached out my hand. And thanks to the guardians rushing over in a flurry, I swiftly grabbed the temple’s envelope that they hadn’t managed to put away in their confusion.

Georges made a flustered expression.

“T-that’s a short prayer sent by the temple. They sent it because we made a small offering.”

The section chief chimed in from the side.

“Why are you curious about Georges’ personal prayer?”

“Just because.”

“…It’s just an ordinary prayer. If what’s inside that envelope is a prayer, what will you do?”

The section chief made a quick gambit. I retorted in a half-mocking tone.

“I’m just looking, why won’t you let me?”

With those words, I opened the envelope and read its contents.

[To our faithful brother Georges.

Thank you for visiting the temple.

We will pray for you from today onward.

Above the beautiful statue of Yelenia, the little angel’s wings will cheer on your days.]

No matter how carefully I read it, it really was a prayer from the temple.

But something seemed suspicious…

Seeing me silent, the section chief and Georges seemed to have decided to seize this opportunity to attack. They began to speak condescendingly.

“You see? It’s not what you thought.”

“Now please hand it ov-”

Just as Georges impatiently reached out his arm.

Thwack!

The nerdy-looking guardian sister with glasses and long flowing hair, who had been quiet behind me, ominously struck his hand.

And she quickly took the letter from my hand.

“Prayer my ass. Decoding ciphers happens to be my specialty.”

Georges’ jaw dropped.

He probably thought I wouldn’t have considered cipher decoding.

‘Looks like we need to bring a cipher expert too.’

‘Why ciphers?’

‘Just, just. They might do bad things.’

I had planned to search this entire office thoroughly in case there was evidence, but fortunately no traces remained.

“Yelenia’s statue. This probably means the Porchin Temple.”

“W-what…”

“Little angel wings must refer to the baby saint statue.”

“…W-what on earth are you talking about?”

“Cheering on your days likely means they’ve hidden a year’s worth of salary. Making the cipher this easy.”

The professional cipher decoder, Pien, shook the envelope with a smirk.

“Now we just need to investigate your activities.”

As soon as those words ended, I gave a nod.

“So what happens to these guys now?”

Now the cipher decoder stepped back, and the Supreme Court justice grandmother stepped forward.

“We’ll start with administrative lawsuits all the way to civil and criminal suits. I stake my honor as a Supreme Court justice on it.”

From the elegant and beautiful noblewoman’s mouth came vulgar curses that Delphia might use.

“I’ll crush you thoroughly, so look forward to it.”

Wow, so this is what it means to crush someone legally. It made me want to study law too, it was quite a cool line.

‘But we can’t just crush them legally. I have sister Yoren by my side too.’

I smiled broadly and spread my arms towards Georges.

“Gentlemen. Choose one: dynamite or surrender.”

Georges looked at me with trembling eyes.

Seeing his pupils shaking violently, I raised the corners of my mouth.

To be honest.

I said to choose, but the answer was already decided.

“S-surrender…”

You just need to answer.

[This is the timeline separator]

“These days, wherever I go, all I hear about is Sien Mirmode, that stupid girl!”

“Ah, Gabrielle.”

Melodia looked at Gabrielle, who was biting her lip tightly, with a kind expression.

“That stupid girl luckily got herself a merchant guild! It’s ridiculous. What can that tiny thing do? And what does she even know!”

As she watched Gabrielle chattering and denouncing, Melodia leisurely added.

“Gabrielle, it’s unfortunate. All the administrative officials have turned themselves in.”

“That cunning girl must have pulled something again! With her sly mouth…!”

“Cunning? You should say she’s smart.”

Gabrielle had tears dangling in her eyes from frustration. She had clearly believed herself to be the protagonist of this world and had lived that way.

Such a girl was now losing everything to Sien Mirmode.

‘She must not be an opponent to take lightly.’

Melodia still wore a warm smile, but the corners of her mouth were rigid without the slightest movement. It was a smile that even gave off a sense of discomfort at a glance.

“Gabrielle.”

“Yes, Lady Melodia!”

Melodia, who had gained the Pope’s support and become a promising saint candidate, was now becoming a figure wielding influence in all directions. She stroked Gabrielle’s head and smiled gently and kindly.

“I’ve come to realize that Sien Mirmode is a dangerous child.”

She was a child so extremely dangerous that she couldn’t be left alone.

She had sent an assassin after Matthias but of course it failed, and Sien’s merchant guild was thriving without any chance to intervene.

It was Melodia’s defeat in many ways. She hadn’t been able to touch even a hair on either of them, so it wasn’t just a loss, but a complete defeat.

“Ah… T-that’s right! She may be insignificant and not worth your concern, but she is dangerous!”

Melodia closed her eyes deeply and opened them, briefly showing an expressionless, cold face.

“We need to uproot and eliminate her.”

“What are you going to do?”

Then Melodia said kindly.

“First, we’ll need time to learn about the Mirmode family in detail.”

Melodia smiled again with a distinctly refreshing and beautiful smile that made people feel trust.

“We need to prepare carefully. To deal with the Mirmodes, we’ll need quite a long time to prepare.”

“That’s…”

“Slowly, we’ll start step by step to prevent them from growing again.”

After wiping out the Mirmode line and dealing with both Sien and Matthias, Melodia and the temple’s perfect goal would be achieved.

As if envisioning a brilliant future, her gentle smile deepened even more.

“Sounds good, Lady Melodia!”