“Isn't there any useful information around here?”
The thought of having to save Elisa alone felt daunting, to be honest.
I didn't have the power to stop a building from collapsing, nor could I freely use magic.
‘Let’s sort things out.’
There were two things I needed to do.
Figure out the procession route and information about the collapsing building.
Find a way to protect Elisa.
Of course, there was also the option of changing the procession route itself to avoid the danger.
However, this route was a historic procession path used for various rituals, so unless a significant problem was found, the possibility of changing it was almost zero.
Moreover, it was too late to overturn the procession route now.
So, figuring out which building would collapse in advance and preparing for it was the best I could do for now.
‘I don’t know the exact location, but it was definitely a building with blue windows.’
I recalled the information from my dream.
Then, I carefully tiptoed and looked over my father’s desk.
‘There it is, the procession route and the capital map!’
But the problem was that I couldn’t tell which building had blue windows just by looking at a flat map.
‘I guess I need to walk along this route in the capital once.’
A pre-survey, so to speak!
It had quite a distinctive appearance, so if I saw it in person, I should be able to easily recognize the building with blue windows.
‘I should ask the maids to let me tag along when they run errands!’
Determined, I quickly memorized the procession route.
I was glad that my memory was quite good. In fact, it was easy to memorize because it was almost a straight path crossing the center of the capital.
"Okay, what's next!"
Number 2, finding a way to protect Elisa…
While frantically searching my father’s desk again, my eyes widened.
“Huh? This is…”
It was a document written by Ruska.
It was a security plan for the procession, and I vaguely heard her being scolded by my father earlier for writing the wrong numbers.
It seemed she had written it correctly this time and submitted it.
Winterwald Knights Order dispatch — 20 escort knights, 50 soldiers… (omitted) … Imperial Knights Order support … (omitted) … 30 protective magic tools within the mansion
‘There are protective magic tools in the mansion!’
I felt like I had found a ray of hope.
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to increase the number of these protective magic tools and place them in Elisa’s carriage?’
Full of enthusiasm, I picked up a pen and was about to add a ‘0’ to the number, but then paused.
"Shoot!"
It was because my father’s signature line was empty.
"He left without doing his work!"
Hmph.
‘Since Ms. Ruska got in trouble for this document earlier, Dad will probably check it really carefully, right?’
So, if I tamper with it now, I'll totally get caught, and it'll totally get rejected. And Ms. Ruska will have to work late and cry again, for sure.
‘Besides, there might not even be 300 magic tools left in the mansion.’
Even if I increased the number, unless I knew the danger Elisa would face, there was no guarantee that it would be used for Elisa’s carriage.
In conclusion, it seemed difficult to tamper with the document.
What to do.
After pondering for a moment, I closed the document and quickly ran out of the office.
"Well, duh!"
I'll just go find the magic tools and set them up myself!
If I can't solve it at my desk, I'll just have to figure it out by doing it!
By the way.
‘Where'd Dad run off to?’
My head tilted slightly as I ran down the empty hallway.
At that time.
Lord Calex was sitting in the Emperor’s audience chamber in the heart of the Imperial Palace.
“Lord Calex, it’s been a while.”
Vizet Etherion, the Emperor of the Empire, said, leaning deeply into the back of his chair.
"Five years have flown by. It's hard to believe you haven't changed at all."
Meeting the Emperor was the first time since his return, as he had been recovering from his injuries.
Perhaps that was why the Emperor had an unusually welcoming face, but Calex, who had lost his memory, was just indifferent.
“Ah… I suppose there is a change.”
The Emperor put down his teacup and glanced at Calex.
"I heard that's a side effect from the Southern Great Labyrinth? Your hair, I mean."
Calex slowly moistened his lips with tea. He savored the taste, swallowed, and even enjoyed the aftertaste on his tongue before curving his lips into a smile.
It was a relaxed gesture, showing no hurry even in front of the Emperor of the Empire.
"Have such silly rumors already reached Your Majesty?"
A low voice flowed out languidly.
"It seems my subordinates have been gossiping without knowing what's important. It's all because Your Majesty is so forgiving."
“Hahaha!”
The Emperor laughed heartily.
"How could your business be trivial? The Empire's noble guardian is far too modest."
Deep red eyes sharply stared at Calex. The Emperor rested his chin on his arm and casually asked.
"So? When are you going to tell me what happened in the last five years? I happen to have some good Carbeta wine, how about it?"
"I'm not sure. I'm still recovering from my injuries, you see."
He had been beating around the bush so far, but this was the main point.
He wanted him to tell him what had happened in the last five years.
‘I can't tell you what I don't know.’
Calex sneered inwardly. Of course, he didn’t say it out loud.
After all, there was officially established content.
"Rest assured, my magic is completely stable now. I went into seclusion to avoid any possible harm to the Empire or my family."
“Destruction and death… Winterwald’s magic is a double-edged sword. If you can’t control it, it becomes a great disaster.”
Some magic powers are inherited through bloodlines. The magic power passed down to the heads of the Empire’s four ducal families was like that.
That special magic power, different from ordinary people, was a power that represented the unique characteristics of each family.
The Winterwald magic power that Calex possessed was also the same.
The power of harsh winter that does not allow any life to survive. Magic of destruction and death that seemed to embody that characteristic to the extreme.
It couldn’t be better for annihilating enemies and gaining the title of the strongest on the continent… But, as the Emperor said, this power had risks.
Because it was an unusually vast and aggressive power, it often caused internal conflicts and caused people to go berserk.
Calex used this.
He deceived the Emperor by saying that he had stabilized his unstable power in a place with low magic flow for the past five years.
"Still, disappearing without a word, even to Elisa, was a bit much. But... knowing how much you care about the family, I suppose you'd rather have died than cause it harm. And if that had happened, another Winterwald would have inherited your power."
Well.
Calex thought, hiding his mouth with his teacup.
‘That bastard doesn’t seem to have any of that tragic determination to die for the family.’
Unless he's dying after giving that little candy everything he's got.
He scoffed at the Alex he'd seen in the video orb.
“So, is your power all stabilized now? …Ah, that was a pointless question.”
The Emperor rubbed his brow and smiled somewhat awkwardly.
Wasn’t the one who announced his splendid return by single-handedly subjugating the Southern Great Labyrinth right in front of him?
Feeling the man’s overwhelming aura anew, the Emperor lightly changed the subject.
"And speaking of the Dukedom, I hear you have some cute little guests."
Calex chuckled.
"They're just kids who found my lost item in the South. They lost their guardian after being caught in a monster labyrinth, so I’m just letting them stay for a while.”
“I see. Children in Winterwald, huh.”
"That's certainly a rare occurrence."
The Emperor murmured almost inaudibly.
It was then.
“Your Highness! Prince Argen! Goodness, what are you doing here again?”
The outside of the door became very noisy.
The Emperor frowned and asked.
“What’s going on?”
“I, I’m sorry! Outside, the Prince is…”
"Your Majesty!"
The door burst open.
At the same time, a boy ran in with a bright face.
"I have a present for you! Look, I caught frogs!"
He couldn't have been more than nine.
Black hair and sparkling red eyes that resembled the Emperor exactly.
But his shirt was oddly worn, his pants were too short, and his hair was a mess.
