A few hours after parting with Ras, Dien fortunately managed to arrive at the inn without being late. He entered the room through the window, just as he had when he left, and soon heard a knock from his aide.
“Young Lord Dien, do you feel any better?”
“Yes, I feel much better.”
The aides looked at Dien’s haggard appearance with concern. Contrary to their worries, he felt fine; he was simply exhausted from staying up all night.
“Young Lord Dien, you still look quite unwell.”
Many officials wore worried expressions as they looked at his drooping eyes and parted lips. Fortunately, however, no one realized he had secretly snuck out of the lodging in the middle of the night.
“Ugh… my stomach is burning.”
However, it wasn’t just him; the officials from the Ministry of Education didn’t look much better. They were clutching their heads as if they had overindulged in drink the previous night. It seemed today’s field trip would be conducted while everyone suffered from hangovers.
“By the way, why was it so noisy last night? I couldn’t sleep at all.”
“The rumor is that Ras of the Mos Merchant Group was attacked by assailants.”
“The Mos Merchant Group? Isn’t that one of the top ten merchant groups in the Empire?”
Dien felt a pang of guilt, but he immediately responded with an innocent, clueless face.
“Is that so? According to the innkeeper, the whereabouts of the merchant leader are unknown.”
“What kind of bold bastards would attack the Mos Merchant Group in the middle of the night? The security in the Imperial Capital must not be as good as I thought.”
“As expected, no place has better security than our Delos.”
The officials didn’t seem to know the detailed inside story regarding the Mos Merchant Group. Dien focused solely on his meal as if he had no interest in their conversation.
‘I’m glad Ras wasn’t caught.’
Though many rumors were flying about the Mos Merchant Group, there was no news that Ras, whose whereabouts were unknown, had been discovered.
And so, the final day of the field trip began with his eyes feeling heavy.
***
Persian was conducting his duties with an anxious expression. Ever since the day Dien had left for the mission, he had struggled to focus on his work.
“Chancellor, urgent news!”
Noil, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was well aware of Persian’s state of mind. Whenever a secret letter arrived in the kingdom, he delivered it to Persian faster than usual.
“Give it to me quickly!”
It was a letter tied with a red string. Since a red string signified a confidential document, Persian quickly grabbed and unfurled it.
“Haaa… as expected.”
Reading through the document, Persian sank into his seat with a sigh of relief. Written there was a sentence signifying the success of the operation.
Persian clenched his fist. He hurried to tidy his appearance and headed toward the Crystal Palace.
***
“Your Majesty, Chancellor Persian requests an audience.”
“Let him in.”
King Lonas sat firmly on the throne atop the dais. He swallowed dryly at the sound of Persian’s hurried footsteps approaching him.
“I am informed that Young Lord Dien has successfully completed his mission.”
At Persian’s words, Lonas rose from his seat with a faint smile.
“Let us sit and talk.”
At Lonas’s gesture, Persian took a seat at the reception table.
“We will need a new identity for the Lasmos technician.”
“Yes. I have already prepared one, but it seems we will need another. The letter stated that two technicians from Lasmos would be seeking refuge in Delos.”
“I see. Prepare it thoroughly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lonas, wearing a small smile, took a sip of the tea brought by a servant.
“However, I still have my doubts. This matter carries a heavy risk, enough to earn the Empire’s reproach. Furthermore, you ordered us to bring in only the technicians, without the infrastructure the Mos Merchant Group possessed. Chancellor, do you believe these technicians are people who can bring enough benefit to the kingdom to justify such a risk?”
“Yes.”
Persian answered Lonas’s question without the slightest hesitation.
“The technological prowess of the Mos Merchant Group has already been recognized by the kingdom’s scholars. And Dien said that these technicians are people who will change the world.”
“Young Lord Dien said that?”
“He did. And as Dien has said before, the task of feeding the people will now be led by merchant groups, not the Royal Castle. That is why he emphasized that we, Delos, must pay more attention to attracting merchant groups.”
“The idea that a merchant group feeds the people…”
Lonas still didn’t quite understand Dien’s words. However, he valued Dien’s insight more than anyone else’s. The Dien he knew was never one to speak without foundation.
“Once Dien returns, he will submit a report to Your Majesty regarding the current technological status of the Mos Merchant Group and the future technologies they will develop.”
“Hahaha. I am already looking forward to it.”
Lonas nodded. It was a mission he had authorized because he trusted Dien from the start. He decided not to speak further on the mission itself.
“I will leave the future support of the Mos Merchant Group entirely to Young Lord Dien.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Persian also nodded at Lonas’s words.
A brief silence followed. During that time, Lonas looked up as if something had occurred to him.
“It seems the Chancellor thinks very highly of Young Lord Dien’s abilities.”
“Pardon? Yes…”
“And you trust him as well.”
“That… that is true.”
Persian answered sheepishly at Lonas’s sudden, contextless remark.
“That must be why the Chancellor tried to match Lady Dorothy with Dien.”
“Did you hear about that?”
“Yes, I heard you were moving very quickly to arrange an engagement with the Young Lord. Almost as if you were being chased, afraid someone would steal him away.”
“Hahaha, no. I’ve decided to just wait and see for now.”
“Hahaha, is that so?”
Lonas smiled while staring at Persian. It was a cold gaze despite the smile. Persian could not bear to meet Lonas’s eyes directly and only managed an awkward grin.
As expected… just as he thought, Lonas was also considering Dien as a candidate for the husband of the youngest princess.
Watching Lonas with that peculiar smile made Persian feel uncomfortable in his seat, and he quickly racked his brain to change the subject.
“In five days, we are scheduled to rendezvous with the technicians in Vendom Village in the Spanil region.”
“Who will handle the escort?”
“I plan to send the Masked Knights. I intend to disguise all forty members of the order as peddlers.”
“I understand. Please arrange a meeting with the technicians afterward. They have come a long way to a foreign land; I should give them some encouragement.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Doing so will be a great source of strength for them.”
Persian bowed his head at Lonas’s words.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
“Yes, you worked hard.”
Leaving the Crystal Palace, Persian let out a low sigh.
“Phew.”
To think that Lonas really considered Dien as a potential son-in-law.
Lonas was someone who valued ability over background, so much so that he had already married off the eldest princess to a Baron’s family. Thus, Persian had expected it to some degree, but facing his true intentions made him feel uneasy. However, he had already decided to leave the relationship between Dien and Dorothy to the two of them.
“Anyway, everything worked out in the end.”
Regardless, Dien’s mission was a success. With this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ mistake was somewhat redeemed.
***
On the way back from the field trip, the tension began to melt away as they crossed the Empire’s border.
“The territory we are staying in today is Baron Cambelle’s.”
“It’s going to be a series of banquets from now on.”
In a rural Baron’s territory, the visit of central officials was always met with a grand feast. This stemmed from the ulterior motives of rural lords trying to form connections with central officials.
Generally, the influence of a central official was much greater than that of a rural noble.
Since central officials drafted policies and managed large budgets in the Royal Castle, they naturally held more authority within the kingdom than a rural Baron.
Furthermore, central officials were inevitably close to powerful figures, as most influential people frequently visited the Royal Castle.
This was why the influence of a noble differed depending on whether they were in the countryside or the capital.
“The fish dishes in Baron Cambelle’s estate are superb.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
The officials from the Ministry of Education also seemed to secretly enjoy the hospitality. They never refused the banquets held daily in various territories, and if there was a place they wanted to stop by, they would make sure to visit and enjoy a feast even if it delayed their return to the Royal Castle.
Sure enough, Baron Cambelle appeared at the border entrance to greet the officials.
To be honest, Dien had no desire to enjoy the daily banquets. Since this was his first time outside the capital, he wanted to enjoy the exotic scenery and, furthermore, look into the lives of the people outside the capital.
“How long does it take from here to the Lord’s castle?”
“From here, it’s just a short walk!”
“Aha. If it’s alright, I’ll get off here then.”
“Pardon?”
He had heard there was a massive difference between the lives of the people inside the capital and those outside it. Dien was curious about that.
As he saw the carriage entering the village entrance, he abruptly jumped out.
Startled by this, his companions called out to him.
“Young Lord, where are you going?”
“I want to see how the people live. I’d like to explore the territory too!”
“What about the dinner banquet!”
“I’ll be back before then, so don’t worry about me and enjoy yourselves.”
Dien waved his hand toward the carriage as he spoke.
“Please return to the Lord’s castle before it gets dark!”
“Understood! Move out!”
Dien nodded at his aide’s words. He brushed his hair back, feeling the cool breeze.
“The scenery is nice…”
As Baron Cambelle’s territory was famous for its exquisite freshwater fish dishes, it was also a territory renowned for its beautiful, misty lakes.
After observing his surroundings for a moment, Dien noticed the faint mist hanging over the lake and began walking toward it.
Small ferry boats bobbed on the lake, looking as if the water itself was waving at him.
Dien walked into the village, which looked like a scene from a painting.
It was a atmosphere he definitely couldn’t feel when he was heading toward Scania. At that time, the burden of the mission had prevented the scenery from catching his eye. Only now could Dien truly enjoy a leisurely journey.
“Is the owner in?”
“Yes, what can I get you?”
Dien stopped at a tavern with a clear view of the lake.
The quick-witted proprietress took a glance at Dien’s attire and addressed him politely.
“A cup of tea, please.”
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“Anything is fine.”
Dien smiled at the woman’s distinct rural accent.
“Are you… perhaps a noble?”
After bringing the tea, the owner, who had been watching Dien closely, cautiously spoke up.
“That is correct.”
“Well… then, Young Lord, could I ask you for one small favor?”
“Yes? Please speak.”
“This is an announcement from the Lord’s castle, but I’m illiterate, so I have no way of knowing what it says. Could you tell me what it means?”
Dien nodded and took the announcement she handed him.
“It’s nothing major. It says that if you need your identification card reissued, you should visit the castle by the end of this month.”
“Is that so? Hohoho. Thank you.”
The woman laughed sheepishly. After giving her a small nod, he turned his gaze back to the lakeshore. There, many fishermen were casting their nets despite the chilly weather.
“Are you a noble?”
While Dien was looking down at the lakeshore, a man who appeared to be a fisherman approached him.
“Yes, my name is Dien Portran.”
“Oh my… what brings a Young Lord to such a humble place…”
The fisherman seemed to be of good character. He introduced himself as the village head.
“Ah! You are the Secretary who traveled across the continent!”
“That’s right, Village Head.”
Dien’s smile deepened. The village people seemed simple and kind. Since short conversations with strangers were the joy of traveling, Dien welcomed the village head’s friendly approach.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.