Chapter 30
“Your Highness?”
Letier squinted her eyes slightly.
You didn’t mention you’d be coming.
Well, if I think about it, there’s no reason His Highness would share his schedule with me in detail.
“Lady Letier! If you ride the horse where your luggage was placed earlier…”
“Efron, hold on a moment.”
Submitting the application to join the magical creatures investigation team without informing His Highness had been bothering her all along.
Honestly, she didn’t expect to get accepted so suddenly…
By now, he must have noticed her name on the investigation team list, but it seemed better to formally greet him anyway.
As Letier approached where Dante was standing, she suddenly stopped.
Before she knew it, the portly team leader had joined their conversation.
It looked like they were deep in discussion, leaving no room for her to interrupt.
Letier stood still, staring at Dante’s dark mask.
Well, it’s not like I’m leaving forever… I’ll be back in three days anyway!
“Never mind, Efron. Let’s just go.”
“Yes, Lady Letier.”
Without hesitation, Letier turned around.
She walked toward the horses with Efron.
****
“What do you mean by ‘reinforcements for the knights’?”
“It’s not confirmed yet, but… it seems the mages inside the Forest of Memory have found suspicious traces.”
“Speak clearly, investigation leader.”
Even though Dante’s mask concealed his eyes, the pressure was overwhelming.
The investigation leader swallowed hard and lowered his head.
He never expected Prince Dante, not the relatively soft-tempered Crown Prince Aiden, to attend the departure ceremony.
“Th-that is… there might still be magical creatures left.”
“……”
Dante stared at him in silence, irritation welling up from deep within.
This wasn’t the kind of topic suitable to bring up on the morning of the investigation team’s departure.
“What are you saying now? Can’t you see the team members are already setting off one by one?”
“Th-that’s….”
“Since it wasn’t certain, we refrained from making it public to avoid internal confusion.”
The royal overseer answered in place of the investigation leader.
“So, you admit there might be magical creatures. Halt the team’s departure immediately.”
“Th-that’s impossible!”
The sweating investigation leader exclaimed urgently, recalling his private audience with the Empress a few days ago.
“The deployment of the investigation team to the Forest of Memory is a critical task that cannot be delayed any longer. We must show results before the Founding Festival to garner the support and attention of the Trillante people. The public’s….”
“So you’re suggesting we risk the investigation team for this mission?”
“The likelihood of magical creatures being there is extremely low. I only requested reinforcements as a precautionary measure….”
“You’re not making sense.”
Dante cut him off abruptly.
Wasting more time with this man was pointless.
He decided to summon royal knights himself. Without them, the investigation team wouldn’t be able to proceed.
“Her Majesty the Empress…!”
Just then, the investigation leader shouted urgently from behind.
Hearing the Empress’s name, Dante stopped in his tracks.
“Her Majesty the Empress graciously approved the reinforcements. So why….”
His words trailed off, turning into incoherent mumbling.
Dante smirked coldly, raising one corner of his lips.
So, since the Empress approved it, how could you not?
He slowly turned to face the investigation leader.
“Fine. If it’s Her Majesty’s command, I have no choice but to comply.”
“T-thank you, Your Highness!”
The investigation leader bowed deeply.
Although he had heard rumors of Dante’s difficult and prickly nature, invoking the Empress seemed to have worked.
“But.”
Dante spoke again.
The investigation leader, about to leave for the royal knights’ quarters, froze and turned back, puzzled.
Wasn’t it over?
“I’ll join this investigation team myself.”
“Excuse me? Your Highness? That’s not possible! It’s too dangerous….”
The investigation leader realized he had trapped himself.
If he opposed Dante’s participation, it would seem like he was forcing others into a dangerous mission.
Yet, if he allowed Dante to join and something truly dangerous occurred…
If the Prince were harmed…
The leader clenched his eyes shut, feeling sweat trickle down his flushed cheeks.
“Why not? The chance of encountering magical creatures is minimal, and I’m curious to see how much the forest has changed compared to a few years ago.”
“Sh-shouldn’t we consult Her Majesty…?”
“There’s no time to bother the busy Empress. The team has already departed for the western outpost. If we delay further, we won’t enter the forest today.”
The leader tried desperately to think of an excuse.
“The mission may seem simple, but it involves a three-day trek through the forest. Without proper preparation….”
“I’ve endured weeks in tougher expeditions.”
“…Surely Your Highness has many other duties….”
“Unfortunately, I’m just a spoiled prince with nothing better to do.”
“……”
The overseer nudged the leader’s arm.
When he glanced over, the overseer shook his head slightly.
There was no point in arguing further.
“…Understood.”
The investigation leader bit his lip before responding.
“But during the mission, Your Highness must follow my orders completely and stay by my side at all times.”
“Of course. As you command.”
Dante replied lightly.
*****
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Mind your tone, Reuters.”
“Your Highness is the one acting out of line! Why are you suddenly entering the Forest of Memory?”
Reuters yelled at Dante, who had just mounted a large horse in front of the Mage Tower.
Dante had unexpectedly asked someone to pack supplies for three days, catching him off guard.
“That’s how it turned out.”
“Make sense! If you leave like this, what am I supposed to…!”
“I’ll be back in three days.”
“It’s not about three days! I’ve told you to stop making impulsive decisions… Your Highness!”
Ignoring the shouting, Dante pulled the reins and rode off quickly.
Reuters ruffled his hair in frustration.
Being the Prince’s aide is going to shorten my lifespan.
“Even my hair is falling out these days….”
He looked sadly at the strands of hair in his hand before lowering his head.
Dante urged his horse forward, joining the investigation team waiting for him.
They galloped through the city gates, heading toward the western outpost at the edge of the Forest of Memory.
Though initially trailing behind, they soon caught up with the investigation members who had departed earlier.
Dante’s eyes instinctively searched for a certain long golden hair.
“Your Highness.”
The investigation leader called out beside him.
Dante turned his head silently.
“Please refrain from acting alone.”
“That sounds like you’re expecting me to act alone.”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant….”
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of sight.”
“Thank you.”
Dante looked forward again.
As they neared the team, he spotted a small figure on horseback with long golden hair leaning awkwardly forward.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
By afternoon, the team arrived at the western outpost.
The members dismounted, resting or hydrating as they waited for the leader to catch up.
Latier leaned against her horse, staring quietly at the dense forest beyond the outpost.
“My lady, have some water.”
Efron offered a leather water pouch.
The cool sensation in her hands was refreshing.
“Thank you.”
Latier gulped it down, the cold water soothing her parched throat and cooling her overheated body.
“Letier! You got here early!”
Isaac dismounted nearby, followed by Walter and Wendy, who waved cheerfully from their shared horse.
Latier smiled warmly at them.
“How dare they act so rudely in her presence…”
Efron muttered, his hand on his sword hilt.
“Huh?”
Latier quickly grabbed his arms, speaking in a low voice.
“Efron! I’m just a scientist here. I don’t want special treatment. Please respect that.”
“…..”
Though dissatisfied, Efron returned his sword to its sheath.
“This place feels a bit thrilling now that we’re here,” Isaac joked, approaching the forest edge.
After observing the plants closely, he remarked, “Nothing unusual so far.”
“We’ll need to go at least an hour deeper,” Wendy murmured.
Latier nodded, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and anticipation as she gazed into the dark woods.
