Chapter 94: The Architecture of Ambition

“Crown Prince!”

The woman who had waited more eagerly than anyone for Rohan’s arrival.

Amanda ran toward Rohan.

“Mother.”

Rohan did not refuse her touch and embraced her in return.

“Retina has come back with you as well, I see.”

As expected, Amanda was delighted at Retina’s return.

“I thought I might never see you again in this life... It makes me so happy to see you like this.”

At Amanda’s words, Retina smiled quietly.

It wasn’t so bad to know there were people who were glad to see her.

“We won’t be able to stay long. We have to attend a luncheon in a little while.”

“Of course, Crown Prince. Even though it’s been so long since we’ve seen you... you still have your duties.”

Amanda smiled brightly, as if telling him not to worry, and took Rohan’s hand.

“In return, you must have dinner with us.”

“Of course, Mother.”

After that brief meeting with Amanda, Rohan headed to his office.

And there, those who had been waiting for him were gathered.

“Your Highness!”

“You’re here?”

William and Lucretia rose from their seats to greet Rohan.

“How has everyone been?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Of course!”

Seeing Retina come in after him, Lucretia smiled warmly.

“Lady Retina, you came too? I thought so! When I heard the rumors that you’d be coming with the Elphyrians, I figured you’d be here as well.”

“Retina will be staying at Boronia Palace.”

“Oh, really? That’s great!”

Lucretia soon drew closer to Rohan and asked quietly.

“By the way, what happened with that man? Did you catch him?”

The two had joined hands for the sake of avenging the Fabian family, so the most important thing was news about Kajin.

Rohan shook his head.

“Oh, then...”

“I did face him. Gave him a critical wound. But in the end, I couldn’t capture him. Instead.”

Rohan took a necklace off from around his neck.

“Ah, my ring...”

“I was able to get a hint about this ring.”

“...! Is that true?”

“Here, take this.”

Rohan handed her a parchment.

“It’s a character chart for translating ancient Yubritan script.”

“My goodness!”

Lucretia’s eyes lit up as she looked at the parchment.

“I tried to decipher it by studying the ring myself... but the symbols were all jumbled, and I couldn’t make sense of them. Was there nothing else stored with the ring?”

“I don’t think so.”

She tilted her head, puzzled.

“I’ll check again. May I borrow this for a while?”

“Of course.”

Rohan willingly entrusted the parchment to her.

“I’ve lost the chance for revenge... but now I want to uncover the secret behind this ring, which our family treasured above life itself.”

Lucretia clasped the ring with great care.

“I’m counting on you. The ring’s secret might end up helping a lot of people.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Rohan then turned to William.

“William.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“We have something to discuss separately.”

“Eh? Don’t tell me...”

He’s going to make me get straight to work the moment I arrive?

The shadows under William’s eyes deepened.

“Lady Retina, shall we have some tea together?”

“Shall we?”

The ladies moved off to sit together.

Left alone in the office, Rohan spoke up.

“You’ve worked hard handling so many matters in my absence, William.”

“Oh, it was nothing... or so I’d like to say, but honestly, it was very difficult, Your Highness!”

The hollows in William’s cheeks were proof enough.

“Managing Boronia Palace as a whole, and taking care of Eliot too. It couldn’t have been easy.”

Still, Rohan had trusted that he would manage well.

“You don’t have to do those things anymore.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

William nodded resolutely, then blinked.

“Wait, what?”

“I said you don’t have to do those things anymore. You’ve worked hard enough.”

“...!”

William’s eyes grew wide.

No way, is he dismissing me right now?

“Ah, no, Your Highness. It wasn’t as bad as I made it sound!”

William immediately changed his tune.

“You can give me even more work! I’m still young and full of stamina, really, I am!”

He didn’t want to give up this position.

He’d grown accustomed to the work, yes, but above all, his current post offered the best possible opportunity for stepping even higher in the future.

With Kajin Fabian gone and his faction’s power lost,

William knew well that the best place to invest himself now was at Rohan’s side.

That’s right.

He was a realist.

“Do you really wish to stay in that position, William?”

“Of course! This post is a perfect fit for me!”

William smiled ingratiatingly.

“Hm, that’s a shame. I was going to appoint you to the position of my aide.”

“...!”

At Rohan’s next words, William’s face went blank.

“Wh-what do you mean...”

“I’m talking about the currently vacant Crown Prince’s aide position. I’d like you to take it.”

“Gasp!”

William clapped both hands over his mouth.

And with good reason—this was...

“A p-promotion?”

It was the same as saying his future would become even brighter.

“You’re an ambitious man. And you’re capable enough to achieve that ambition.”

Rohan said with a smile.

“So I decided you’re not someone who should remain tied to Boronia Palace. That’s all there is to it.”

“Your Highness...”

William was so moved he could barely speak.

To a capable subordinate, he gave a fitting post.

And the lord before him was saying he’d seat William in that position, here and now.

“I’ll do my utmost.”

William bowed deeply.

At last, the Crown Prince was starting to move.

Because of all that had happened, Rohan had been busy just cleaning up the aftermath, even after ascending as Crown Prince.

But now that he had returned, appointing William as his aide could only mean he had something in mind.

‘Come to think of it, he really has changed.’

The Crown Prince before him was no longer just the delicate-looking boy from before.

His face had grown sharper, his shoulders broader.

He’d even shot up taller than before.

‘Your Highness, you’re becoming a true man!’

Finally noticing the change, William felt his chest fill with emotion.

---

Luncheon time.

In the banquet hall of the imperial palace’s main building, dishes quite unlike anything before had been set upon the tables.

“This is... rather shocking. I thought most humans loved meat and fish.”

Nas gave a brief evaluation as he looked over the food.

He noticed it right away.

That these people had boldly made an effort for their guests’ sake.

“Wow, it’s all greens and fruit... but the texture and taste are so fresh!”

Rohan, as he ate, glanced at Isabel sitting beside him.

Isabel winked playfully at Rohan.

“Hohoho! I read in a book that most Elphyrians are vegetarians. But we used cooking methods from the Empire’s famous chefs. I hope it suits your tastes.”

“It’s unique. I like it.”

Nas turned to look at the Elphyrians who had come with him.

“Wow, this is really good!”

“Is this really the Sans fruit I know?”

“Ah, so sweet. Did they add honey to this?”

The Elphyrians, knowing nothing, were simply enjoying the meal.

Seeing them, Nas felt a bit conflicted.

In Silvaren, people do eat vegetables, but most do not cook them—they enjoy the natural flavors as they are.

For them, this imperial-style vegetarian meal was quite a shock.

As someone who preferred the taste of things in their natural state, Nas was stunned to see the Elphyrians eating with such wild enthusiasm.

He never expected them to enjoy it so much...

He felt as though the common sense he’d held until now was being shattered, and a mild dizziness came over him.

Rohan and Isabel whispered to each other.

‘See? I told you they’d like it.’

‘You’re right. It was a good idea.’

It was just like her to think of blending Elphyrian vegetarian cuisine with the Empire’s bold flavors.

‘Who doesn’t like sweet and salty? Elphyrians are no different.’

Hehehe.

Isabel grinned mischievously.

It seemed she was determined to use this opportunity to firmly imprint the Empire in the Elphyrians’ minds.

“So, I heard we’re opening trade with the North. I’m curious—what items will be traded?”

When Emperor Beltar spoke up, Nas replied.

“Our first trade item will be Sans fruit. It’s not that Sans fruit doesn’t exist here, but what grows in Silvaren is larger, firmer, and has a much better taste.”

“Oh ho, Silvaren Sans fruit, you say. I imagine anyone would be desperate to try it.”

Beltar stroked his beard as he spoke.

“I heard you’ve come in person because you want to trade with the royal family as well. Is there any particular item you desire from us?”

“The first thing we want is textiles.”

“Textiles?”

Beltar’s eyes sparkled.

“In Silvaren, most clothing is made from a material gathered from the Pibokhwa tree. It looks a bit like cotton and is a specialty found only in Silvaren.”

“Yes, please go on.”

“However, Pibokhwa is tough to work with, so it takes a long time and a lot of labor to make fabric. We tried cultivating cotton, but the seeds won’t germinate in Silvaren’s warm climate, so it was impossible.”

Rohan nodded.

He vaguely remembered hearing something like that when he visited Silvaren in his previous life.

“So we would like to buy textiles from the Empire.”

The limits of living in an isolated region were becoming clear.

The world had advanced, and it was now possible to live much more comfortably. But isolation meant falling behind.

Nas understood that well, and this matter gave him the courage to act.

“Then, what can Silvaren offer us in exchange?”

Beltar asked cautiously, and Nas presented his answer.

“We will provide Silvaren’s medicinal herb, Gramdal.”

“Gramdal?”

What’s that?

As everyone exchanged puzzled looks,

“We must trade for Gramdal.”

Rohan spoke firmly.

“Rohan, do you know what Gramdal is?”

At Beltar’s question, Rohan nodded.

“Yes, Father. Gramdal is an excellent fever medicine.”

“A fever medicine... but aren’t there many such medicines in the Empire already?”

“That’s true, but—”

There was a specific reason Rohan had insisted Nas offer Gramdal for trade.

“Even in small doses, it’s extremely effective and brings down fever very quickly. Many children die from unexplained fevers. If we import Gramdal, it will greatly help stabilize the lives of our people.”

Though outwardly just a fever remedy, Gramdal’s true value would be revealed in time.

“In the future, it may even be used for other purposes.”

Because soon, it would become the cure for a catastrophic epidemic.