Swoosh-!
With a sharp sound of an arrow slicing through the air, a monster that had been hovering in the sky crashed to the ground.
“Oh! Another monster has been taken down!”
The people cheered. The voices belonged to the nobles in the imperial palace hunting grounds.
Recently, small monsters had begun to appear in this area.
Monsters typically inhabited the border regions, but those with wings were occasionally found inland as well.
These monsters, resembling crows, made people think they were weak. However, their swiftness rendered them difficult to catch.
Thus, the Emperor invited the nobles to the imperial hunting grounds for a hunt that also served as a social event.
“Who was it this time?”
The Emperor excitedly trotted his horse toward the spot where the monster had fallen.
The nobles followed closely behind him.
When they reached the location, they found a familiar figure inspecting the monster’s corpse as always.
“Duke Eisen.”
The Emperor called out cheerfully as he approached the young duke.
The new Duke Eisen, handsome like a nobleman yet exuding a rough charm, gracefully bowed to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty.”
“As expected, it was you again.”
“I was merely lucky.”
“It seems all the luck in this hunting ground is with you. You’re the only one who has taken down monsters today.”
“It’s all due to your grace, Your Majesty.”
“Hahaha.”
The Emperor burst into laughter.
The nobles who had followed the Emperor looked at the young duke with a mix of awkwardness and jealousy.
Not long ago, the former Duke of Eisen, Magnus Eisen, had been executed.
It was revealed that he had attempted to kill his own son and was involved in various corruption.
There were dozens of cases where he had oppressed and murdered commoners without cause.
The Emperor had ordered his execution.
Magnus Eisen’s second son, and once the heir, Jacob Eisen, also did not escape punishment. He, too, was found guilty of many acts of violence and corruption, no less severe than his father’s. His title of prince was stripped, and he was exiled to the borderlands for hard labor.
It seemed that the House of Eisen was on the brink of collapse.
But then…
“I appoint Brantley Eisen as the new Duke of Eisen.”
The Emperor showed mercy to the House of Eisen. He recognized Brantley, who had uncovered the corruption and exposed his father and half-brother, as the rightful heir to the Eisen ducal family.
“Even while falsely accused and in hiding, Brantley Eisen achieved great deeds by eliminating the demonic cult in the borderlands. He also eradicated monsters. Now that his name has been cleared, I expect him to serve the empire as my vassal.”
Brantley had also cleared his name from the false accusation of colluding with Asta. Evidence had been discovered in the Eisen family’s secret chamber that Magnus Eisen had framed him in the past.
With that, the Emperor had no reservations about appointing Brantley as the Duke.
Of course, the Emperor’s favorite granddaughter, Hanelope, was the one to convince him.
“Grandfather, this is your chance to change the Eisen Duchy’s position. What if you turn the loyal supporter of the Grand Temple into your trusted vassal? And not to mention Brantley is smart, he knows how to fight… Isn’t he perfect as a Duke?”
Although, towards the end, her personal feelings seemed to show.
The Emperor decided to give in to his granddaughter’s ‘persuasion’.
This bold decision caused quite a stir in society.
There were those, especially from the Temple faction, who were surprised and displeased that an illegitimate had become the head of a great noble house.
Young nobles around Brantley’s age were particularly envious.
Not that Brantley cared at all.
“It seems no more monsters will appear today. Perhaps they’ve hidden away, knowing the Duke of Eisen is out hunting. Let’s take a break.”
The Emperor led the nobles to a spot by the lake.
Next to the imperial hunting grounds was a large, beautiful lake. A relaxation spot accompanied by a buffet was prepared in front of it.
Boating was still in full swing on the lake.
However, upon seeing the Emperor’s arrival, they ended their fun and returned to the gathering.
“Your Majesty, did you enjoy the hunt?”
His Majesty’s granddaughter cheerfully approached and greeted her grandfather.
The Emperor smiled as he noticed the baskets swinging in her hands.
“I enjoyed it, but it seems you had quite a time fishing.”
“Dad taught me how to fish. Look at this! I caught so many.”
Hanelope’s pink eyes sparkled as she opened the basket. A large fish flapped inside the basket.
“Oh!”
Even the previously disinterested nobles showed curiosity.
He patted his granddaughter’s head in adoration. Though Hanelope had grown considerably since they first met, her round, small chestnut-like head was still adorable.
“I thought floating on a boat like a doll wouldn’t be much fun for you, but it seems you’ve become a fishing fanatic. By the way, your father…”
The Emperor, looking around, was startled.
Hart, carrying a fish as big as a grown man’s torso, was striding toward them.
It was an overwhelmingly large fish.
However, the one who had caught such a massive creature, Hart, didn’t even have a single hair out of place.
“The fishing fanatic wasn’t you, but him. He’s the one who influenced our Hanelope,” the Emperor sighed.
***
The smell of roasting fish wafted from the distance. Hart’s catch was being grilled.
The chefs who had accompanied them from the palace, despite the unexpected task, were more excited by the challenge than complaining.
“Patrick would have enjoyed witnessing this,” the Emperor remarked.
Under the luxurious red canopy, the nobles gathered around the Emperor and exchanged glances.
Patrick was the Emperor’s second son and dad’s younger brother.
‘Prince Patrick was absent, saying he had to visit the Great Temple.’
Unlike Dad, Patrick was known for his gentle nature, but lately, people started saying that he had changed.
‘There was talk that he’s showing ambition for the throne.’
Though he still visited his grandfather often, something about him had changed. It was clear that Grandfather suspects Patrick has some connection to the Great Temple.
Although Magnus Eisen had fallen, the Great Temple remained intact. No evidence was found linking them to his crimes. No one was unaware of the temple’s involvement, but without evidence, the authorities couldn’t take action.
Moreover, the Great Temple seemed unshaken by Magnus Eisen’s downfall. They continued to quietly gather followers, pray, and perform their services as usual. Perhaps they decided to keep a low profile after the trouble caused by Asta.
Or…
‘Are they hiding something, while waiting for the right moment?’
I stepped out from under the canopy and walked around the lake.
I deliberately sought out where the young nobles were gathered, but Brantley was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did he go?”
It wasn’t long before I found him.
He was sitting in a quiet spot, holding a fishing rod. With a serious expression, he was staring intently at the motionless fishing line.
“Do you like fishing too?”
I approached from behind and asked, startling Brantley, who quickly turned around and asked, “When did you get here?”
“Just a moment ago.”
I smiled as I noticed the empty basket next to him.
“You haven’t caught anything, have you?”
“I will, soon enough.”
Brantley said, once again focusing on the lake.
“Hmm. Staring at the lake like that won’t scare the fish into getting caught.”
But rather than fishing, shouldn’t Brantley be socializing with the others?
I grabbed his hand and tried to pull him up.
“Forget the boring fishing. Let’s go over there and relax with the others.”
“No.”
Brantley firmly refused.
I was taken aback. Was fishing that important to him?
With a frown, Brantley said, “If I’m going to fish with you, I need to practice in advance.”
“Fish with me?”
Brantley nodded vigorously.
I suddenly recalled our encounter this morning at the imperial hunting grounds.
We had both been invited by Grandfather and Brantley was delighted.
“We’ll be hunting together all day.”
“Yes! It’ll be fun…”
“Sorry, but Hanelope will be joining me for boating instead.”
But my dad had crushed Brantley’s hopes.
Since I had casually mentioned wanting to go boating, I couldn’t refuse Dad’s offer.
“So that’s why Brantley is practicing fishing with such determination.”
But we won’t be able to fish more today.
“Brantley, fishing is great, but now that you’re a proper Duke, there are more important things to do than hanging out with me.”
“No, there aren’t.”
I was at a loss for words.
“We can always spend time together. We’ll be together forever, after all.”
“Forever?”
Brantley pulled my hand, making me plop down next to him.
“To stay together forever, we need to do that first.”
That? What is he talking about?
Before I could ask, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled it close to his face. It looked like he was about to kiss the back of my hand. Why all of a sudden…?
I stared at him, as he bit his lower lip. He didn’t seem angry, but his silver eyes reflected a strong emotion.
Just then, the fishing rod bobbed up and down.
“Something bit the bait!”
I quickly pushed him away and grabbed the rod. But the fish must have been quite large because it almost pulled me off balance.
“Careful.”
Brantley hugged me from behind and reached out to help me hold the rod.
After much struggling, we finally reeled in… an empty hook.
“What? Seriously?”
“Looks like it got away during the struggle.”
I was disappointed.
“I thought we caught something as impressive as Dad’s.”
“Well, we can always fish together again, just like we did now.”
But Brantley didn’t seem disappointed at all. In fact, he seemed pleased as he brushed my messy bangs aside.
“Are you happy?”
“Huh?”
I blurted out without thinking, and Brantley’s face went blank. As I tilted my head in confusion, he nodded as if in a trance.
“Yes, I am…”
“Oh, there you are, the new Duke of Eisen.”
Just then, a sarcastic voice came from behind. It was from the young nobles who came.
