Aslan, despite his incompetence, was persistent.
“Does a nun usually carry a sword and a flail? Unlikely. Assassins?”
“They’re nuns,” came the reply.
He had a knack for saying scary things.
‘You seem to know too much about the church.’
I glared at Aslan with silent pressure.
“Ah. Got it,” he muttered, closing his mouth.
‘What a useless fool trying to act tough.’
At that moment, Claire leaned in to whisper cautiously in my ear.
“Miss, an assassination guild really suits you.”
“Claire. Shh.”
‘As if I’d ever fall for that. Why on earth would I inherit such a grim organization?’
***
[Side: Ashtar]
News of Aslan’s procession had reached Ashtar.
Although it was said he was merely passing through, the road a royal traverses requires preparation.
Thus, for Rokton, the heir to the family, the stakes were high.
He needed to ensure security in the territory and surrounding areas like never before.
“Are there any wanted criminals or dissidents, such as anti-imperialists, within the territory?”
“None, sir. The road His Highness will take has been thoroughly cleaned and prepared.”
Rokton nodded in satisfaction at the knight commander’s report, though his expression soon darkened.
The real issue lay elsewhere.
“Then the problem is here. Casey, what’s the situation?”
Rokton, accompanied by knights and Ashtar’s mages, headed west to the border of Ashtar’s territory.
A guard post there had been attacked and destroyed.
“Sir, it seems this was a natural collapse.”
“A post that was just built? Natural, you say?”
The Empire is vast, with long frontlines requiring vigilance.
To prevent remnants of the Demon King’s army from invading, the Empire recently constructed guard posts and reinforced fortresses, pouring significant resources into the effort.
But now, that effort seemed wasted.
‘I invested so much money in this.’
As the future head of Ashtar, Rokton wanted to solidify his place in history as a capable ruler.
“So you’re saying it wasn’t old age that brought it down, but something ‘natural’?”
“There’s no trace of magic, sir.”
“None at all?”
“Correct. It almost seems like a unique ability was used.”
If it was a unique ability, then it could be linked to demons.
“A unique ability? So, it might be demons.”
“Yes, sir. We’ve deployed the mage corps to investigate further.”
“If it is a unique ability and involves demons…”
That would be a major problem.
There was only one being capable of crushing a newly built post into dust while leaving the enemy in chaos.
“We must consider the worst possibility.”
“Could it be Pector?”
“Yes, sir.”
Pector, the Despair.
With just a swing of his sword, he could decimate entire areas.
He was also the one who destroyed Berta, the kingdom’s strongest fortress.
Thankfully, there were no deaths here, though several soldiers were seriously injured when the building collapsed.
But this was just one problem.
If it really was Pector, he likely brought the Demon King’s army with him.
After all, he was a leader.
‘The question was, how many troops had he brought?’
If there were many, chaos would have already broken out.
Unless he was concealing his forces somehow…
Or, perhaps, it was a small contingent.
“This is getting complicated. If he’s coming, why not head to Rivelte? Why here, of all places? And during the Crown Prince’s visit, no less. At least, they’re still far apart for now.”
Since Ashtar openly supported the royal family, the prince’s procession would likely pass briefly through their land.
‘Let’s just hope they don’t cross paths.’
“Pector would probably prefer warm and fertile lands over cold regions.”
“Understood. Keep investigating.”
“We’ll act quickly, sir.”
Once the conversation ended and Casey left, Rokton gave orders to the knights.
“Ensure the soldiers and knights remain vigilant.
Also, locate the hero rumored to be heading to the Empire.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though he wasn’t entirely confident in the hero, having them around wouldn’t hurt.
‘Why does this have to happen now? The timing couldn’t be worse. I might even have to summon my younger brother, who commands the family’s elite forces.’
***
Aslan and his entourage boarded the carriages prepared by the imperial family.
Of course, they were made to look like ordinary carriages, not overly adorned with golden decorations that would draw attention.
Though large enough to be suspicious in their own way, the nuns had already spread the word to make them appear as modest as possible.
“Prince Aslan is atoning for the people,” someone said.
“For us commoners!”
“Prince Aslan!”
Peasants, prearranged by the nuns, swarmed the carriage, singing praises.
Seated at the front, Aslan’s face crumpled at the sight.
Yuria glared at me.
‘What? What was I supposed to do? This was the only option we had.’
“Olivia, this is… incredibly uncomfortable,” Aslan muttered.
“You’re more uncomfortable than this situation, honestly.”
“Nothing works, does it? My dear Prince, life doesn’t always go the way you want.”
‘How could someone so dense be a prince? Or is it precisely because he’s a prince?’
Even after the Lily incident, you’d think he would have learned something.
‘How can anyone be this clueless? The throne would be better suited for the Princess, who’s rumored to have spent her time on the battlefield. Better a cunning ruler than a naive one.’
“Still, isn’t this a good thing?”
“Just let it slide. Surely you don’t think there’s never been a single emperor who didn’t pull stunts like this? Even His Majesty, the current Emperor, has had his share of… well, let’s not go there.”
‘I’m starting to lose my patience.’
“You need to learn how to let things slide if you want your retainers to grow,” I said.
“I’m starting to feel like the image I had of you is breaking apart,” Aslan replied.
“Same here,” Raileur added.
“Me too, just a little,” Yuria chimed in.
Aslan, Raileur, and Yuria were spouting nonsense again.
Honestly, I’d prefer they were as indifferent as Balen or as obliviously drooling like Chariel.
‘What does it matter if I’m not who you thought I was?’
“Do I have to worry about every little thing? If you ever want to regain your position as the Crown Prince, stay quiet this time. And you two, stop coddling him. That’s why he’s like this. Understand?”
“Understood,” Aslan said quietly, nodding.
However, Raileur and Yuria still seemed dissatisfied.
When I gestured for Raileur to speak, she reluctantly opened her mouth.
“Well, it’s not like—”
“Do you not remember how you acted during the Lily incident, Raileur? And Yuria, the so-called secretary of the student council and His Highness’ close aide, do you recall how you ignored Lily and only reprimanded me?”
“I’m sorry,” they both muttered, lowering their heads.
‘Good. You two have nothing to say to me. Know your place.’
Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve traveled far from the capital.
Maybe I should enjoy myself a little.
Staying tense all the time isn’t practical.
The carriage left the capital and eventually entered Ashtar’s territory.
Ashtar was one of the Empire’s richest lands, boasting vast resources, fertile soil, and even a small coastline that provided an abundant supply of fish.
It wasn’t called the Empire’s greatest domain for nothing.
Even its buildings and roads were far superior to those of other territories.
While Ashtar had infrastructure close to the capital’s level, other cities lagged behind with simpler roads and almost no high-rise buildings.
“Wow, Ashtar is huge,” Chariel exclaimed, leaning against the carriage window.
“Well, it does include part of the coast,” I replied.
Ashtar’s domain stretched from the capital to the sea, a testament to its power and the wisdom of its rulers who had managed it so well.
Even with vast lands, a tyrant or a foolish ruler could have driven the people away, turning it into a desolate place like Rivelte.
“If they couldn’t develop this much land, they’d be fools,” a Rivelte soldier sneered, glaring at me.
‘Ah, now I see why you’re my nemesis. You’re just a brute who relies on cavalry charges and sheer ignorance.’
“What’s the point of land and resources if you lack the intelligence to develop them? Ashtar thrived because its past rulers were exceptional.”
I stared back, unfazed by his glare.
‘What are you going to do, glare me to death?’
Claire, noticing the tension, stepped in to mediate.
“Both of you, that’s enough. If you look at it another way, Ashtar and Rivelte are quite similar.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes, Miss. I thought you would know, being part of the Ashtar family.”
Claire gave me a sharp look, as if accusing me of ignorance about my heritage.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Ashtar wasn’t originally a native noble house. It was the closest ally of Emperor Elfrik, the Empire’s founder. Because of its significant contributions and the personal friendship between the Emperor and Ashtar’s leader, it was granted the Empire’s largest domain.
“Early on, during the Empire’s conquest wars, Ashtar’s nomadic roots gave it a strong cavalry force,” Claire explained.
“But it’s different now, isn’t it?”
“Yes. As Ashtar’s territory expanded, the family decided to assimilate with the locals and adopt the lifestyle of the landed nobility.”
“Ah, so that’s how the history evolved,” I said, understanding now.
“However, Rivelte, which also played a major role in the conquest wars, resents Ashtar for abandoning its traditions.”
“So, Rivelte stayed traditional while Ashtar adapted, right?”
Ashtar was clearly better off now.
With fertile lands and advanced magical knowledge, they couldn’t survive on hunting like Rivelte.
“Yes. Rivelte held onto its traditions and chose rough northern terrain or grasslands suitable for cavalry,” Claire continued.
“Impressive. A family maintaining its legacy is respectable,” I admitted.
“‘Respectable’? Ashtar, which uprooted its heritage for fertile land, dares to evaluate Rivelte?” the Rivelte soldier snapped.
‘This bastard is seriously testing my patience.’
“You’re annoying, you know that? Cultures evolve naturally when people mix and share ideas. What’s the big deal?”
Ashtar’s people adapted to their land, sharing and integrating cultures to grow.
Rivelte, on the other hand, resisted such natural progress.
“Does Ashtar even retain its traditions? Your forebears intermarried with magical races, didn’t they?” the soldier mocked.
‘This guy’s stubbornness is exhausting.’
“You know, living in such a rigid way is why you’re stuck in the cold, struggling to survive,” I retorted.
“And yet we endure the cold and thrive on the plains with our horses. Ashtar has likely forgotten its former glory, becoming soft and weak,” he said smugly.
‘Deep breath. No, this isn’t about Ashtar. This guy’s entire worldview is rotten.’
If I leave him unchecked, he’ll keep being an irritation.
Since I’m an Ashtar, and he’s a Rivelte, perhaps settling this once and for all would be for the best.
I began gathering mana in my hands, but Syria stopped me.
“Lady Olivia! Please calm down! With all that padding in your chest, you won’t feel the cold anyway!”
Crash
I slammed Syria’s head into the window.