Raising the Northern Grand Duchy as a Max-Level All-Master

146: Renslet’s Royal Letter (6)

A pair of rings emerged from the fusion chamber.

Without a word, I placed them in my palm, inspecting their design.

The rings featured a snowy white base that seemed to shimmer faintly with an aurora-like glow. Delicate mana circuits, engraved at the nano level, adorned their surface.

They vaguely reminded me of the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings.

‘Yes, this is worthy of the label Made by Arad.’

These two rings were nothing short of mythical-grade artifacts. In terms of value, they were the pinnacle of what I had crafted since arriving in this world.

If my earlier creations, like the golden carriage, Arad’s Devotion, or Cry of the Snowfield, were akin to propeller-driven planes, these rings were cutting-edge F-35 fighter jets.

“Incredible… engraving mana circuits at such a microscopic scale…”

She wasn’t alone. Every mage-engineer and magician present wore similar expressions of awe and reverence.

This moment would likely burn itself into their memories, motivating them to spend the rest of their lives striving to reach this level of mastery.

For the mana-untalented engineers, for the exceptionally gifted mages of Renslet’s circle—it didn’t matter. Everyone was equally captivated.

“Do the enchantments work?” Isabelle asked.

“Yes. All of them,” I replied.

“Unbelievable!”

Of all the people present, Isabelle and I were the only ones who truly understood the range of enchantments woven into these rings.

- With these, Her Highness will be safe, Isabelle’s telepathic message echoed in my mind.

- But... she still won’t be able to conceive a child.

Manipulating the telepathic ring on my finger, I responded.

- That... is something we’ll have to research further. Together.

- If all else fails, what about life magic? Using a creature vessel—

- Absolutely not. You know why that’s forbidden, Isabelle.

Life magic was inherently tied to dark magic, specifically chimeras.

Even in Renslet, a place more tolerant of dark magic than any other in the world, it was only permitted for medical purposes—like prosthetics—or extreme interrogation. Creating a new life using this magic? Out of the question. ŗ𝙖ƝỘʙĘS̈

Renslet’s next heir being created through chimera-based techniques? Unthinkable.

- Her Highness’s condition isn’t just limited to her womb, Arad. Since that day, she hasn’t even experienced menstruation.

- Meaning any solution must involve her biological tissue.

- That would result in something... inhuman. It wouldn’t be a true person, just an artificial construct like the avatars we encountered in the Devil’s Den.

- The avatars from the Devil’s Den were made from corpses. This is entirely—

- Different or not, the outcome is the same. No one would accept a soulless construct as their ruler.

Even without considering the continent as a whole, Renslet’s mage circle would never accept such a ruler.

- So, Sir Arad, no matter what you do, you must never even think of pursuing that option. Don’t even mention it.

- Understood.

Isabelle’s warning carried weight. Ignoring it would only lead to trouble.

‘She’s right. Even I wouldn’t be comfortable with that outcome.’

Using Arina’s DNA and an artificial womb, I could theoretically create a living being in her likeness.

A clone, essentially.

While the idea wasn’t impossible, achieving it would require at least three years of research and experimentation.

But even then, a fundamental issue remained: the resulting being would lack a soul.

‘A soul…’

In a world where mana and divine power existed—and where my own soul had been summoned and bound to another body—I couldn’t deny the existence of souls.

‘If worst comes to worst, we’ll move toward a republic.’

With that thought, I completely abandoned the idea of clones and focused on finding a way to heal Arina’s body, while also preparing contingency plans for a potential shift to a republic.

“Sir Arad, isn’t it time to head to the Palace of Glory?”

“Yes, I’ll leave right away.”

“I’ll have the golden carriage prepared, just in case!”

Isabelle was clearly eager to see these rings placed on Arina’s hand as quickly as possible.

This wasn’t merely about publicly announcing our love—it was also about ensuring her safety.

***

As the golden carriage made its way to the palace, I held the rings, absentmindedly turning them over in my fingers.

‘What should I say when I give her the ring?’

The question kept me occupied as the rhythmic motion of the carriage accompanied my thoughts.

‘Should I start by naming the rings?’

The rings’ primary enchantments were simple yet extraordinary.

‘Based on their function, calling them GOS Rings might fit best.’

GOS stood for "Guardian of the Snowfield," a fitting tribute to Arina’s title and the rings’ purpose: protecting her, no matter what.

But something about the name felt… lacking.

‘I’ll think of something better before I get there.’

The pair of rings hummed faintly as they sat in my palm, exuding a quiet resonance.

Though there was no voice, I could sense an almost imperceptible emotion radiating from them.

‘Guess they don’t like the name GOS.’

To be fair, GOS (short for Guardian of the Snowfield) did have some questionable connotations in Korean culture.

‘What should I call them then…?’

I decided to draw inspiration from the rings’ abilities.

Crafted from Chaos Metal, these rings naturally carried more than just the GOS functionality.

‘How about Life Rings?’

The rings had a unique ability to monitor Arina’s physical condition in real time, saving me the effort of frequently checking her pulse.

Additionally, they offered automatic healing and rapid mana recovery as secondary features.

But their most critical ability was something else entirely.

‘There’s also the spiritualization feature—it’s a bit like a Life Vessel.’

This function, added as a worst-case contingency, would activate if Arina ever removed the ring and unleashed her Grandmaster powers.

It would allow her body to transition into a spiritualized state, preserving her essence in the material world.

In this form, she would become more akin to a spirit than a human—but that was still preferable to becoming a lich.

‘So… Life Rings or Life Vessel Rings?’

Hummm…

The rings vibrated gently in my hand, as if shaking their heads in disapproval.

They didn’t like those names either.

‘Huh…’

I wasn’t particularly attached to either name, so I wasn’t offended by their rejection.

‘What about The One Ring? Or Absolute Rings?’

Their overall functionality, combined with their resemblance to the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings, made Absolute Rings feel like a fitting name.

Hummm…

The rings rejected this too, resonating in disapproval.

‘Tch.’

Clicking my tongue, I glared at the stubborn little artifacts.

‘Might as well wear mine in the meantime.’

Slipping one ring onto the ring finger of my left hand, I noted how it fit perfectly.

Unlike Arina’s ring, mine didn’t have the limiter functionality, but it retained all the other features.

‘Absolute Rings felt perfect…’@@novelbin@@

I absently rubbed the ring on my finger, muttering, “My precious…”

Hummm!

The rings vibrated again, as if scolding me for not giving them proper names.

***

Arina spent the entire day unable to focus.

She flitted between her office and bedroom, her thoughts scattered.

‘What do I do? My face is still burning!’

Her emotions had overwhelmed her the previous night, leading to a passionate, unforgettable evening with Arad.

The memory of his breath, his warmth, his voice, and his touch lingered vividly in her mind.

‘How am I supposed to face him now? And what am I supposed to tell people?’

Arina’s uncertainty about how to act around Arad from now on matched his own hesitation.

This awkwardness was why, after their brief kiss at dawn, she had practically fled back to the palace.

‘And to think Arad knew about Mary’s true identity this whole time!’

Learning that Arad had been aware of Mary’s secret identity left her reeling.

She had been too swept up in her emotions to fully process it at the time, but now the realization hit her with full force.

‘Ughhh!’

She buried her face in her hands, trying to suppress the flood of thoughts and feelings.

Since morning, and now well into the evening, Arina had been half out of her mind.

‘Is Arad feeling as awkward as I am? Is that why he hasn’t come to see me yet?’

She had already heard that Arad had gone to the magic engine factory instead of the palace. It was part of his scheduled plans, after all, but she couldn’t help feeling a little… disappointed.

‘He should’ve been done with the test run by now.’

The fact that he hadn’t shown up even once since last night stung.

‘Should I go see him as Mary?’

Her gaze drifted to a bag holding the artifact Arad’s Devotion, the magical necklace that allowed her to transform.

The magic engine factory was a top-secret facility, meaning she couldn’t visit as the Grand Duchess. If she wanted to see him, she would have to disguise herself.

‘Ugh, no!’

The thought of transforming into Mary brought a fresh wave of embarrassment.

If she went as Mary, she’d be acutely aware that Arad had known her secret all along.

His face flashed in her mind, and with it, the memories of their shared intimacy.

The vivid recollection made her cheeks burn anew.

‘I can’t do it. Not yet.’

The idea of facing Arad again—so soon after everything that had happened—was simply too overwhelming.

‘What’s Isabelle doing? Why hasn’t she sent me any updates?’

Her frustration spilled over into a silent complaint aimed at Isabelle.

‘Wait, could it be…?’

A thought suddenly struck her.

Could Arad be forging the promised sword right now at the factory?

He had mentioned yesterday that he would craft a weapon using the magical alloys produced during the test run.

‘Is that why he hasn’t come yet?’

It all made sense now.

‘Ugh, why did I agree to that?!’

Arina groaned inwardly, imagining Arad pouring all his focus into crafting a sword for her while she wallowed in her conflicted emotions.

A storm of emotions swirled in Arina as she paced the palace office, torn between anticipation and nervousness.

Her mind kept replaying the events of the previous night, and while a part of her agonized over how she’d face Arad again, another part of her ached to see him immediately.

As the sky darkened, her anxiety only grew stronger.

“Your Highness, are you feeling alright?”

Unable to contain his concern any longer, Sun finally spoke up.

“I—I’m fine!”

Arina’s unconvincing tone and pale, anxious face suggested otherwise.

Sun quietly observed his liege, understanding full well the reason behind her current state.

‘Arad Jin, you damned scoundrel.’

He knew exactly what had happened the night before, where Arina had been until dawn, and the rumors now spreading through both Renslet and the Empire.

If Arad had been just some lowly playboy, Sun wouldn’t have hesitated to wring his neck.

“Your Highness, we’ve just received word that Arad Jin has left for the palace,” a maid suddenly reported, her voice tinged with urgency.

“Wh—what?”

Arina froze, her movements flustered and uncoordinated.

The moment she had been waiting for—and dreading—had finally come, yet her emotions were a tangled mess.

Moments later, Arad strode confidently into the office.

His face carried the weariness of a long day, but his eyes burned with an intense light.

“A-Arad… I, uh…”

Arina tried to speak, but the sight of him made her mind go blank.

Despite rehearsing this moment countless times in her head, all her preparations crumbled the instant their eyes met.

“Arina!”

Arad’s voice rang out, confident and resolute.

“!!”

“Gasp!”

“Oh, my!”

“H-he just called Her Highness by name?!”

The gathered maids and knights froze, their eyes wide in disbelief.

“Arad!”

Only Arina responded with unrestrained joy, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.

The awkward tension she’d been carrying melted away the instant Arad called her name.

Suddenly, everything became clear. She knew exactly how to move forward.

“Arina, take this ring.”

Arad stepped closer, and no one—not the knights, not the maids—dared to stop him.

When he stopped just in front of her, he knelt down on one knee, holding out a ring identical to the one on his own left hand.

“This ring is called Arad’s Love.”

“……!”

Arina’s breath caught in her throat.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her hands trembled, her heart raced like it would burst, and her flushed cheeks glowed with warmth.

Her mind felt disconnected from reality, but her instincts guided her hand forward.

“Arina, please accept my love.”

With those words, Arad gently slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

One Month Later

On the day of Arina Rune Renslet’s birthday, an announcement rocked not only the North but the entire continent.

“I, Arina Rune Renslet…”

“And I, Arad Jin Renslet…”

The Duchess of Renslet and its greatest mage-engineer declared their union to the world.

“As the mother of all Rensletians and the sovereign of Renslet, I declare that I have become the woman of one man.”

“As an honorable Rensletian and the Grand Duke’s consort, I declare that I have become the man of one woman.”

On that day, Arina Rune Renslet received the greatest birthday gift of her life: marriage to Arad.

The royal wedding between the Northern Sorcerer, Count Arad Jin, and the sovereign of Renslet, Arina Rune Renslet, was celebrated that very day.

On the left ring fingers of both stood identical rings, gleaming with a rainbow-like aura.

“Renslet Rune Renslet!”

“Renslet Rune Renslet!”

Despite the frigid winter air, every Rensletian felt a warmth in their souls, celebrating the union of their beloved Duchess and her chosen partner.