Silence filled the office as Dien finished speaking. Persian Cherbil did not respond, as he was busy mulling over the boy’s words.
“This is the only way, Chancellor.”
Persian still gave no reaction to Dien’s statement.
With Dien’s abilities, he might certainly succeed. However, Dien was an invaluable talent. Persian could not bring himself to put the boy in such danger. These conflicting feelings clashed within him, deepening the Chancellor’s dilemma.
Dien, however, remained resolute.
“I will leave in two days. Please keep it a secret from my father.”
The silence continued. Dien guessed that Persian’s lack of words was an affirmation. He bowed to the Chancellor and stepped out of the office.
“Count, is it really all right to send the Young Lord alone?”
Whether it was bravery or recklessness, Teris, who did not know Dien well, watched the boy leave the office with a sigh.
“He is a child wiser than anyone. He is also a child who thinks of the kingdom’s prosperity more than anyone else. It is a dangerous and reckless mission, but I have no doubt that he will complete it.”
“You truly believe in Young Lord Dien. But why is your expression so dark, Count?”
Teris could not help but notice Persian’s continuous deep sighing.
“Even if he is a reliable subordinate official, I cannot help but worry.”
“I see. I thought you would use the spies you previously planted, Count.”
“That is impossible. Those spies have already had their identities laundered as citizens of the Empire and are irreplaceable. You might not know it, but Dien surely calculated everything in that short time before speaking.”
Persian then stood up from his seat. There were two days left. He knew that if he could not find another way within those two days, he would have no choice but to send Dien to the Imperial Capital.
***
Mana was an intangible force that could be converted into massive kinetic energy.
The Rasmos Merchant Group had developed a Mana Dynamics device that made this possible, an achievement great enough to be called a revolution. To the public, the Rasmos Merchant Group was merely known as the group that developed the Mana Dynamics Crane, but that crane was nothing more than a small byproduct of their core technology.
While the people of the continent currently failed to fully recognize their value, future historians would surely re-evaluate their achievements, and descendants would remember their names written in history books. The Rasmos Merchant Group was an organization possessing technology capable of sparking a Mana Dynamics revolution across the continent.
This was the very reason Dien was willing to risk danger to recruit the Rasmos Merchant Group. He understood the value of Rasmos better than anyone else on the continent. He believed that someone who knew their true worth would be able to treat, respect, and persuade them properly.
The continent would undergo a massive change centered around the Rasmos Merchant Group, and Dien wanted to grasp the key to that change.
‘I am glad that I am the one who can go.’
Dien returned home and began his swordsmanship training. Sitting cross-legged across from Shilona today, Dien was practicing his mana cultivation technique.
“Shilona, there is something I want to ask.”
“Concentrate. You can make small talk after the training is over.”
“I am sorry, but I became curious about something just now.”
Shilona opened the eyes she had kept closed at the sudden question. “What is it?”
Dien took a moment to steady his breath before speaking. “What is the level of my swordsmanship?”
“Hmm… The level of one’s swordsmanship isn’t something that can be easily measured. Every style has its strengths and weaknesses, and there are differences in actual combat experience. You cannot simply say a swordsman is high-level just because they can release a lot of Aura.”
It was a valid point, but it was not the answer Dien was hoping for. Thus, Dien decided to change the question.
“If I were to face a knight of the Empire, would I have a chance of winning?”
“…Why do you ask such a thing?”
“Just answer me.”
Since he could not disclose the details of his mission even to Shilona, Dien simply wanted an intuitive answer to his question.
“It would depend on the level of the Imperial knight.”
Dien’s brow furrowed. The follow-up answer was also not what he wanted. However, noticing Dien’s mood, Shilona continued her explanation.
“It is difficult for even me to evaluate you, Young Lord Dien. Your understanding of swordsmanship is at the level of a High Knight or above, but you are not yet an Aura Expert. However, when we spar, you often show skills that surprise me even without using Aura. Your growth rate is also at a level that is impossible to explain through common sense.”
“Is that so?”
“Since the average knights of the Imperial Palace are Intermediate Knights… perhaps…”
“Perhaps…?”
Dien swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple moving noticeably.
“I am not sure either.”
“Sigh… Let’s just finish the training.”
At Shilona’s disappointing answer, Dien closed his eyes again and focused on his cultivation. Dien had reached a point where he could feel the energy of mana. Although he had not told Shilona, he had actually been able to feel the energy of Aura for some time.
*Whir*
A faint aura began to swirl around the sword Dien held. For the first time today, he showed Shilona that he could manifest Aura.
A small chuckle escaped Shilona’s lips.
“Congratulations. You have become an Aura Expert. There may be those who became Aura Experts at a younger age than you, but there is likely no one on the continent who became an Aura Expert faster than you.”
“Thank you.”
Dien nodded slightly at Shilona’s words.
‘If a situation arises where I must draw my sword, I will draw it without hesitation.’
Dien gazed resolutely at the sword he had received as a gift from Lorentz.
This was the only opportunity to recruit the Rasmos Merchant Group. A group that should not be allowed to disappear was in danger of being swept away by political infighting, and this was a golden opportunity for Delos.
“I am going on a long-term business trip in two days.”
“Really? You didn’t say anything. Was it decided suddenly?”
“Yes, it was decided suddenly.”
“You seem to be doing as much work as a commissioned Secretary, Young Lord Dien.”
“No, it’s not really like that.”
“I understand. However, even if you go on your trip, you must not skip your cultivation and must do it every day.”
Deep darkness had settled. Shilona stood up first, followed by Dien.
Amidst the pitch-black darkness, the moonlight reflecting off Dien’s sword looked exceptionally brilliant today. Dien continued to stare at his sword with eyes full of determination.
***
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
“I am glad to be going with you, Young Lord Dien.”
“I am also very happy to be with all of you, aides.”
On the day of the journey, aides from the Ministry of Education were gathering in small groups at the entrance of the Royal Castle.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in the knight academy system, Young Lord.”
“Yes, I believe that if there is a good system in another country, we should visit and learn from it ourselves.”
“As expected, there is a reason why the praise for you is so widespread in the castle. Hahaha!”
Dien checked the tour schedule while chatting with the aides from the Ministry of Education he was acquainted with.
‘The stay in the Imperial Capital is only on the eighth and ninth days—just two days.’
Inside Dien’s inner pocket were a map of the Scania Imperial Capital and the floor plans of the Rasmos Merchant Group’s headquarters. These were items Dien had secretly obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the night before.
Dien carefully examined the schedule. He let out a sigh of relief upon discovering that the lodging where he would stay in the capital was close to the Rasmos headquarters.
His plan was to meet the technicians of the Rasmos Merchant Group and persuade them to migrate. Although he desperately wanted to bring them back as soon as possible, it was impossible to take them out while avoiding the eyes of the Crown Prince.
For that reason, they had to manage the border crossing on their own.
Furthermore, if his assumptions were correct, the Rasmos Merchant Group might already be preparing to migrate. Being one of the best merchant groups in the Empire, they surely possessed at least one route for a secret departure.
“Is everyone ready?”
Persian walked out of the Royal Castle and approached the officials from the Ministry of Education.
“For the Chancellor to come out and see us off personally! We must carry out this tour of advanced regions more sincerely than ever before.”
“Does that mean you were slacking off during previous tours?”
“Hahaha, how could that be! We are officials of the honorable Chancellor’s department!”
The officials of the Ministry of Education burst into pleasant laughter at Persian’s surprise send-off. However, Persian had another reason for appearing before them.
Dien bowed his head to Persian, and seeing this, Persian gave a small nod. Persian had shown his face to encourage Dien, even if it was from a distance.
“Chancellor, we shall head out now.”
“Go ahead. Have a safe… trip.”
“Yes.”
The officials who had exchanged greetings with Persian climbed into the carriages one by one. When it was Dien’s turn, Persian whispered into his ear.
“Even if you are discovered by Scania, do not take your own life. This is His Majesty’s command.”
“Yes. If I am discovered, I will obediently confess and beg them to spare my life.”
“Heh heh heh, I see.”
A laugh escaped Persian at Dien’s words. It was clearly a joke, but no knight had ever said such a thing to him before going on a mission. Everyone else had said they would take their own lives for the kingdom if discovered.
Dien’s words felt refreshing. Those words were surely intended to make him laugh and ease his worries.
“I will be back.”
Dien boarded the carriage. Beneath the carriage, Dien’s sword was hidden, secretly attached.
None of the officials accompanying him knew that Dien was performing a secret mission.
***
“Master Ras. You must make a judgment now. The First Prince’s faction no longer has any hope of recovery.”
“Yes, you must leave the capital immediately. If the Second Prince of Scania completely takes power, our merchant group will be disbanded. and you, Master Ras, will likely…”
“I know. I know as well.”
The building of the Rasmos Merchant Group headquarters boasted many floors. Ras, the head of the merchant group, was looking down from the very top. He had built the headquarters massive enough to make one’s jaw drop, specifically to show off the Rasmos Merchant Group’s construction and technical prowess.
“Master Ras. Let us use the secret escape route to leave the capital.”
The branch managers of the Rasmos Merchant Group and Ras’s confidants were sitting at a table, looking at Ras’s back.
“This building was built very well. Don’t you think so?”
“Master Ras! This is no time for that!”
“Master! There is no time!”
Ras was talking about things that seemed unrelated to the crisis. At this, his confidants’ voices began to grow louder.
“Heh… Now they are trying to control us openly.”
It seemed Ras could not hear the words of the branch managers.
When the First Prince was still in power, Rasmos boasted immense influence within the Empire. It would have been impossible for the Second Prince’s knights to linger in front of the Rasmos building back then.
However, once the Second Prince of Scania was appointed as the Crown Prince, they became like a candle flickering in the wind in a single day.
As the First Prince lost his power, the Second Prince’s knights began to set up camp in front of the headquarters building. Furthermore, Ras had to endure twenty-four hours of surveillance from the knight order.
‘My life is no longer my own. It wouldn’t be strange even if my head were taken at any moment.’
Unlike Ras, his subordinates seemed to be terrified of death.
“Master…”