“When you look at these series of events, it seems like they’re targeting Rose, but if you look closely, it’s actually you they’re after.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve never encountered anything as interesting as you. You make me forget the void. So, you mustn’t die until I lose interest in you.”
“…Are you saying I need to stay alive because I’m entertaining to you?”
“Exactly. Consider it an honor.”
‘Has he gone mad?’
Ian was dumbfounded.
He had been wondering why Edelmar was prying into his secrets, only to be met with such an absurd conclusion.
That he shouldn’t die simply because Edelmar found him entertaining.
“I’d like to rest now, so please leave.”
Not wanting to deal with him any longer, Ian issued a firm request for Edelmar to leave.
Edelmar chuckled softly.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“I’m leaving, I’m leaving,”
Edelmar said, waving his hand as if to placate Ian.
As he stepped out, Edelmar added,
“If you ever feel like sharing your secret, let me know. I’m curious too—why they’re targeting you.”
“Sure,”
Once Edelmar was gone, Ian crossed his arms and sank deep into thought.
‘Are they really targeting me?’
Edelmar’s deduction seemed plausible.
Even more so if he considered the ‘Flow.’
“If they want things to go according to the ‘Flow’…”
Ian’s own muttered words made him catch his breath.
Bernaba had previously warned him not to blindly trust the ‘Flow.’
That the ‘Flow’ was simply a flow, nothing more.
But if they were people who blindly trusted the ‘Flow,’ they might kill Ian to ensure events followed its path.
“…If the enemy knows about the ‘Flow’…”
The battles ahead were bound to be mentally exhausting.
***
“Uncle! It’s so big! Really, really big!”
Rose, who had just returned from Bernaba’s lair, stretched her arms into a wide circle.
“Was the house big?”
“Yes! It was soooo big! I looked up, and it was so enormous I couldn’t believe it!”
Flushed with excitement, Rose tried to demonstrate the grandeur of the lair with her entire body, only to tire herself out and fall asleep.
Watching the sleeping Rose, Bernaba nodded in satisfaction before speaking to Ian.
“It seems you found it successfully.”
“Yes. But… you can see it?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
‘What part of that is obvious?’ Ian thought but said nothing, instead pulling out the wooden box where he had kept the scale.
“Thank you for letting us use this.”
“Why are you giving it to me?”
“I figured it wasn’t something that should be returned to the temple, so I’m giving it back to you.”
Bernaba alternated his gaze between the wooden box and Ian.
“I’ll explain it properly to the temple, so don’t worry and take it with you.”
Bernaba hugged the wooden box to his chest, his eyes turning red as if overcome with emotion.
“Thank you.”
“I think it’s only natural.”
For humans, the scale was akin to remains.
No matter how useful it might be, if Ian imagined someone else keeping his own remains, he too would want them back.
Bernaba stood up from his chair.
“I’ll step out for a moment.”
“Alright.”
Bernaba disappeared.
After covering the sleeping Rose with a blanket, Ian spread out a map on the desk.
“Hmm.”
As Ian studied the map, the door burst open.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking at the map,”
Looking over the map, Edelmar said,
“Hmm. The remaining locations are east and north, right?”
Ian nodded.
“I originally planned to head east first.”
“And now?”
“There’s something urgent I need to return for.”
Edelmar raised an eyebrow.
“Something happened in the duchy?”
Ian nodded again.
“It’s not so urgent that I need to rush back, but there’s no time to go east first.”
“………”
Ian sighed deeply.
“The Crown Prince is visiting the duchy.”
“The Crown Prince? The Crown Prince shouldn’t be able to leave the imperial palace.”
“Pardon?”
“The Crown Prince is the most important person after the Emperor. If he dies, there’s no one to inherit the imperial authority.”
“But isn’t Prince Eugene still around?”
“Eugene isn’t the legitimate heir.”
“Ah.”
Though Eugene was born of the Empress Consort, he was technically an illegitimate child.
Up until now, the Emperor had turned a blind eye to the power struggle over the throne, only to ensure his own conscience remained clear.
Had it been the previous Emperor, anyone involved in such disputes would have been dragged to the execution grounds immediately.
“Then, as per the norm, the Crown Prince shouldn’t leave the imperial palace, correct?”
“Exactly. The reason he wasn’t declared Crown Prince at birth was to allow him to roam freely across the empire before his coronation.”
Ian tilted his head in confusion.
In the ‘Flow’, the Crown Prince had traveled around the empire with the female protagonist, Yekhaterina.
He even visited the northern territory so frequently, like dropping by for a casual stroll, that Rose was often troubled by his visits.
But now Edelmar was saying it was normal for the Crown Prince not to leave the palace?
‘What on earth did I see in the ‘Flow’?’
Edelmar knocked on the desk, snapping Ian out of his thoughts.
“First, let’s return to the north. If the Crown Prince arrives before you, it could be considered a grave insult.”
Ian let out another sigh.
“I suppose we should.”
He couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince suddenly wanted to visit the duchy.
What was even harder to understand wasn’t just the Crown Prince’s visit but the fact that Yekhaterina would be coming with him.
‘Are they coming here to whisper sweet nothings like in the ‘Flow’? How childish.’
Ian couldn’t help but smirk at his own thoughts. Then he suddenly froze.
‘According to the ‘Flow’? Could it be because of the mine?’
“Ha.”
Ian’s lips twisted into a wry smile.
If his suspicions were correct, the Crown Prince’s visit to the duchy was to obtain the mine that Yekhaterina had discovered in the ‘Flow.’
‘How amusing.’
Ian now understood why Edelmar found him entertaining.
It was, indeed, quite an interesting turn of events.
***
Ian departed for the duchy immediately upon Bernaba’s return.
Returning to the northern territory was much easier than searching for the sacred relics.
This was thanks to Bernaba’s assistance.
Perhaps as a gesture of gratitude for letting him have the scales, Bernaba teleported the carriage and knights to a location near a gate.
After that, they took the gates in succession, eventually arriving in the duchy.
“And over there is…”
Rose enthusiastically introduced the duchy to Bernaba, her chatter never ceasing.
“I see. And where were you born, Rose?”
“…Far away from here…”
Rose replied sullenly.
“I see.”
Bernaba smiled warmly in response but shifted his gaze toward Ian.
Ian shook his head subtly, signaling not to delve further into the subject of Rose’s birthplace.
Understanding the unspoken message, Bernaba nodded slightly and changed the topic.
“Rose, could you tell me your favorite place in the duchy?”
Rose’s face immediately lit up.
“My favorite place is…!”
As Rose chattered like a sparrow, Ian turned his gaze to the scenery outside the window.
While he had been traveling, spring had fully arrived in the duchy.
Lush grass covered the ground, and wildflowers bloomed across the land, filling the duchy with the vitality of spring.
“Welcome back, my lord.”
“Welcome back, my lord!”
When they arrived at the Duke’s residence, Sebastian and the other servants greeted them in unison.
“Sebastian!”
Rose leaped out of the carriage and ran into Sebastian’s arms.
“My dear young lady, did you have a good trip?”
Sebastian’s eyes welled up with tears.
Before their departure, Rose had been so shy she wouldn’t even make eye contact. Now, seeing her running toward him with such a bright face made him so happy he didn’t know what to do.
“Sebastian! I brought a friend!”
“Are you referring to Prince Fenrex?”
Rose shook her head.
“No, no! A new friend. Ber, say hello!”
Sebastian turned to look at Ber, the friend Rose introduced.
Despite appearing around Rose’s age, the child walking with hands clasped behind his back exuded an otherworldly aura.
Fearing Sebastian might make a mistake in front of Bernaba, Ian called out to him.
“His Grace the Grand Duke has also arrived.”
Sebastian, snapping out of his daze, greeted Edelmar.
“Welcome, Your Grace.”
“Is my room the same as before?”
Sebastian smiled.
“Yes, it’s been kept clean.”
“Good.”
With a nod, Edelmar entered the residence ahead of them.
“Sebastian, Lord Bernaba will be staying with us. As for the room…”
Ian paused briefly before continuing,
“Let’s prepare the room at the end of the third floor.”
“But, my lord, that room is…”
Ian cut Sebastian off with a slight shake of his head, signaling him to stop speaking.
The room at the end of the third floor was designed to protect the heir to the duchy, should anything happen.
All previous dukes had stayed in that room before moving to the Duke’s chambers.
Although Bernaba wouldn’t be made the heir, Ian felt that a dragon deserved a room of such significance.
“Where is Fred?”
“He’s in the study.”
“Alright.”
Ian turned to Rose, who was still in Sebastian’s arms.
“Rose, Uncle has to work. Play with Lord Bernaba in the meantime, okay?”
“Okay! But won’t you join us for snacks?”
“I will. If you want to have snacks, come to the study with Lord Bernaba.”
“Alright, I’ll do that!”
Ian kissed Rose on the cheek and headed toward the study.
Just as Sebastian had said, Fred was sitting on the sofa in Ian’s study.
His lap was piled with documents.
“You’re here,”
Fred said, giving Ian a short nod before placing the stack of papers on the desk.
“I’ve only brought the urgent matters.”
“Let me see.”
As Ian reviewed the documents Fred handed over, he asked questions about anything he found unclear.
Fred answered them succinctly, and together they worked through the urgent tasks.
Finally, Ian looked up.
“Has the Crown Prince departed yet?”
“Yes, he’s expected to arrive in 15 days.”
“15 days?”
With the gates inside the imperial palace, it would take less than two days to reach the duchy. Why would it take 15 days?
“I’m not certain, but it seems he’s traveling leisurely.”
“Do you know where they plan to stop along the way?”
Fres listed the names of five territories.
Hearing the five names, Ian let out a dry laugh.
“Why are you laughing, my lord?”
“It’s nothing. Where have you arranged for the Crown Prince to stay?”
“We’ve prepared accommodations on the fifth floor of the main residence.”
Ian tapped the desk lightly with his pen.
“No. Host him in the annex instead.”
“But…”
Fred was shocked and tried to protest at the idea of hosting the Crown Prince, someone of such high status, in the annex.
“He’s not coming alone, is he? Since Lady Yekhaterina is accompanying him, we can’t possibly house her alone in the annex, can we?”
“That’s true, but…”
“The Grand Duke is staying in the main residence, so it’ll be fine.”
Ian planned to use Edelmar as a shield.
There was no way the Crown Prince, who respected the Emperor’s brother dearly, would insist on staying in the main residence if Edelmar suggested otherwise.
Smirking slightly, Ian turned his attention back to the documents.
“A territory near the mountain range, I see.”
“Yes. It’s a quiet and safe location, with knights stationed at the checkpoints around the clock.”
Ian nodded.
“Good. Then proceed with that location. When will the construction begin?”
“As soon as you approve it, my lord. The workers are ready.”
“Alright.”
Ian signed the documents decisively, causing Fred to smile brightly.
“Finally, the duchy will have its own academy!”
