***
The day had finally arrived when Serdin would leave for Ilnord.
Until the border, he would be accompanied by Promian, and from the moment he crossed into Ilnord, knights from Ilnord were waiting to escort him.
On the surface, Serdin’s return symbolized reconciliation.
In line with this sentiment, the imperial palace sent Serdin off with the utmost respect. Many people woke up early in the morning to ensure everything was prepared for his departure without any issues.
“Thank you for everything. Thanks to you, I am returning.”
Standing before the carriage, Serdin gave his final farewell to us who had come to see him off.
So this day has finally come.
Seeing him leave brought up a mix of emotions.
“You’ve endured well while being here,”
Delight, standing at the forefront, remarked. He then gestured toward the carriage waiting behind him.
The only ones returning to Ilnord were Serdin and Hugo.
However, there were a total of four carriages. Apart from the one they would board, the rest were filled with gifts from Delight.
“Those are for Prince Serdin to take back with him.”
“Do you mean all of it is mine?”
While Serdin had only a few belongings accumulated during his stay here, Delight had greatly increased the number of items for him.
All of them were valuable goods.
“Everything belongs to Prince Serdin. Make sure this fact is clearly stated,”
Delight emphasized to ensure that none of the items could be seized by the Ilnord imperial family.
This was done to prepare Serdin with a foundation that would allow him to endure any challenges in Ilnord.
“This is a token of gratitude for helping the princess until now.”
In his way, Delight was looking out for Serdin.
“Prince Serdin, though we didn’t spend much time together, thank you. Take care when you return.”
“Thank you.”
To Blueny’s farewell, Serdin responded courteously.
“Serdin! Take care of yourself in the future.”
Standing nearby, watching the others bid their goodbyes, I also stepped forward to greet Serdin.
“This is a gift I didn’t manage to give you before.”
Finally, I handed him the real gift I had prepared for his birthday.
“You really had one?”
“Of course. Take good care of it. I had Hiel help me find this. They said if you keep it by your bedside, you’ll sleep well.”
After much deliberation over what to give him as he left, I chose this particular gift.
It was an ornament that emitted a gentle glow at night and a fragrance that helped with sleep.
“And don’t forget, Serdin, you’re my friend.”
I reminded Serdin of this crucial fact one last time.
“No one should bully my friend, no matter where you go.”
“Huh…?”
“And of course, no one should look down on you either.”
I widened my eyes and warned him sternly with a serious expression.
I’ve always had a hot temper when it came to seeing people around me being mistreated.
That applies to you as well.
“Got it?”
If someone bullies you, don’t just take it. Fight back.
If someone looks down on you, step on them.
Maybe it’s because of the time we spent together.
Seeing him leave made me worry, which means I must have grown attached to him.
“I promise I will never disgrace myself.”
Serdin made a firm promise in response to my warning. That determination in him was somewhat reassuring.
“Yes. Serdin will do well.”
Serdin stared at me for a moment before smiling brightly and nodding.
“Well then, goodbye for real this time. See you next time.”
“Yes. Goodbye until we meet again!”
Although vague, we exchanged farewells, promising to meet again in the future.
It was finally time for Serdin to leave.
Just as Serdin turned back to board the carriage after lightly bowing toward us for the last time—
“Prince Serdin.”
Delight, who had silently stepped back and watched, called out to him.
“All the wishes you made on your 13th birthday will come true.”
“I will wait for the day my wishes come true.”
Serdin turned back to Delight, offering his thanks in advance.
It seemed that Serdin had told Delight his final wish separately.
“What wish did you make?”
Curious, I asked abruptly.
“You mustn’t reveal a wish until it comes true.”
“Yes, I can’t tell you.”
For once, Delight and Serdin were in agreement, and they firmly refused to tell me.
Tch.
“I know, fine!”
There was no helping it. Wishes must be kept secret.
“Ollia, I’ll tell you what it was when we meet again.”
Serdin tried to console me.
“No, wishes are precious. But, Dad, you must grant it, okay?”
“…I will keep my promise,”
Delight said curtly, frowning slightly as though reluctant.
And Serdin smiled quietly.
Huh? What’s that about?
But there was no time to dwell on it.
“Then, I will take my leave now.”
This time, Serdin truly bid his final farewell.
Soon, the carriage he was riding in departed.
***
The Empire of Ilnord.
The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince were all outside, awaiting Serdin, who was returning after a long time as a hostage.
“It’s suspicious that the Emperor of Promian suddenly wants to reconcile with us. Especially since the production site in Soren recently disappeared.”
The Crown Prince spoke in a low voice, full of suspicion, his face etched with dissatisfaction, as he addressed the Empress.
“Wasn’t that an accident?”
The Empress replied calmly while looking straight ahead.
“The King of Soren is like an old servant of ours. He wouldn’t lie.”
“……..”
The Crown Prince opened his mouth slightly, but refrained from speaking further due to the Empress’s resolute tone.
That didn’t mean his doubts were entirely dispelled. The Crown Prince still felt uneasy.
Doesn’t this seem strange?
Recently, the underground auction house collapsed due to the rampage of those useless wolf beastfolk.
The resulting damage was significant.
Then, the critical production mines of counterfeit magic stones in the Soren Kingdom also collapsed.
The consecutive incidents had caused massive losses.
And amidst all this, Promian suddenly sent a letter of friendship? It didn’t make sense.
The Crown Prince furrowed his brows deeply.
“The intentions of Promian don’t matter. What’s important is that it’s beneficial to us,”
The Empress said, as if knowing exactly what the Crown Prince was worried about.
“The counterfeit magic stone is almost complete.”
At those words, the Crown Prince instinctively turned his head.
The counterfeit magic stone was a project secretly developed by the imperial family of Ilnord.
Although the Crown Prince was involved in the project, the secrecy was so tight that he did not know the details of its progress.
“There are some minor issues, but if those are addressed and we increase production according to the plan…”
The Empress, who had maintained her composure until now, trembled slightly with excitement.
“We won’t lose to anyone, even without anyone’s help.”
Clenching her trembling hand with her other hand, she continued speaking.
“Not even the Emperor of Promian, with his insane abilities, will be able to stand against us.”
Ever since that mage, Delight, appeared and founded a baseless empire, they had lost every war.
Yet, the idea of Ilnord collapsing had never crossed their minds.
“After all, his mana is finite, and even the magic stone mines will eventually be depleted.”
Counterfeit magic stones could be endlessly produced.
It was a battle they couldn’t lose.
“All we need is time.”
“……….”
“For that, we can accommodate Promian’s desires for now.”
This was why Ilnord accepted Promian’s proposal.
Whatever Delight might be plotting, it would ultimately prove futile.
“So, when Serdin returns, welcome him warmly. For now, that child symbolizes reconciliation between the two empires.”
As long as he held value, the Empress was willing to smile at Serdin as much as needed.
Handling that child was not difficult; she knew exactly how to deal with him.
However, she felt the need to warn the overly emotional Crown Prince in advance to prevent any mistakes.
“After all, once his value is gone, he will become useless. You don’t need to concern yourself too much with him.”
“Tch. Understood.”
The Crown Prince forced himself to smooth his expression, though reluctantly.
‘It would have been better if he had just died there.’
He was fated to die in Promian anyway. The fact that he had survived this long was unexpected.
And yet, he was even returning.
How much must he have lowered himself to curry favor with the enemy?
He was like a beggar who had come crawling back.
At that moment, the carriage carrying Serdin entered the Ilnord imperial palace.
