With the help of Count Eckarshi’s household, Yohan returned to his duties as a civil servant after three days.
As soon as he returned to the capital, the first thing he did was not meet Francia, nor take a rest.
“There was an ambush during the Magul inspection?”
He reported.
In the office of the division chief, Fedelian frowned. Was there someone else targeting him besides himself? It was puzzling.
“Yes. I brought back evidence.”
Yohan placed a dagger used by the hyenas on the desk in the office.
Fedelian narrowed his eyes as he examined it closely, then stroked his chin.
“Hyenas serving a specific family.”
As the crown prince, he couldn’t have not known about them. Hyenas, often employed by high-ranking noble families, were always a troublesome issue.
“Their daggers differ depending on the family they serve, but at least within the group, they are uniform. It’s not easy to track down, but it’s better than nothing.”
It would be ideal to know exactly which family they served by the dagger, but they were shrouded in mystery, and the group’s numbers were large.
Simply identifying the family from one dagger was not easy. Of course, it was better than having nothing.
“And this,”
Yohan placed another rusty dagger on the desk. It was the dagger used by the hyenas during the first ambush led by Cassis.
The crown prince’s eyes narrowed.
“What’s this?”
“These hyenas are not a new threat.”
Yohan spoke with a cold expression.
“They ambushed us on the day of the social party, when we were returning, exactly the same as now.”
“…The time you were with the Ferbache expert magician?”
“Yes.”
Fedelian’s expression darkened. Thinking back to that day made him uncomfortable.
But that didn’t mean he was going to let this incident slide.
Because he now knew that this involved Francia.
“It’s clear what he’s after.”
Fedelian’s voice was low, but it was laced with a cold anger. Yohan met his gaze and slightly raised his voice.
“Yes. He must be targeting someone, just like how he’s targeting the special mage from Ferbache. I must be his biggest obstacle.”
“………”
Yohan’s words were sharp. Fedelian’s fingers lightly tapped the desk. His anger was subtly building up in his fingertips.
“…This time, I’ll handle the investigation myself.”
Fedelian suppressed his discomfort with effort and nodded. He wasn’t particularly eager to help Yohan, but since Francia was involved, he couldn’t afford to ignore it.
“Yes. Then I’ll go see the First Public Officer.”
“The First Public Officer?”
“I think I should inform the head of the First Public Officer about this as well.”
“……..…”
Upon hearing those words, the puzzle pieces in Fedelian’s mind, which had been vague, fell into place. He now knew who the culprit was.
“I see. That makes sense.”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Yohan gave a polite bow and left the office, slowly nodding to Fedelian.
As he exited the Second Public Officer’s building, he was approached by the female officers.
“Special Mage Harssen!”
“Your expression looks off. Is something wrong?”
These were the officers who usually showed interest in him and were always friendly. Yohan relaxed his stiff expression and gave a light smile.
“No, it’s just that the last mission was a bit exhausting.”
At his light smile, the female officers were momentarily breathless, but they suppressed their desire to confess and continued the conversation.
“By the way, we heard that you single-handedly stopped the Magul outbreak in the last mission!”
“Oh my, is that really true? As expected from Special Mage Harssen!”
Suppressing a monster outbreak in its early stages is an easy task when there are enough officers gathered, but it was a different matter entirely when one person had to deal with it alone.
No matter how promising Yohan was as the most likely candidate for Special Mage in the Second Public Officer’s office, it wasn’t easy to single-handedly suppress a monster outbreak.
“You’re truly amazing!”
“Your reputation will rise even more after this!”
The female officers giggled and repeatedly praised Yohan. Their actions were blatantly aimed at winning his favor.
Yohan, who was familiar with them, awkwardly smiled.
“Thank you. But I have some work to do. May I leave now?”
“Ah, yes. Sorry for holding you up.”
“Please continue with your work!”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Yohan gave a slight bow and then headed toward the First Public Officer building.
As he entered the First Public Officer building, knights and mages stared at him intently.
While some of it was due to his appearance, most of the curiosity stemmed from the fact that Yohan, a mage, had defeated the deputy director of the First Public Officer.
“…Special Mage Harssen.”
It wasn’t long after entering the building that Yohan came face to face with Cassis Renokhonan. Realizing that the previous operation had failed, his expression was quite dark.
“Renokhonan, Special Knight. I received the gift you sent recently.”
Yohan smiled softly. It was a gentle smile, but his gaze was sharp.
Cassis’s face subtly twitched, but he quickly composed himself.
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
There was a faint tension in his voice.
“It’s truly surprising that you wouldn’t even care. Haha.”
While Yohan’s words appeared casual, his noble speech was clearly admonishing Cassis.
“…….…”
Cassis, feeling the sting of Yohan’s words, wanted to draw his sword from his waist right then and there, but he had to force himself to suppress that urge.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Please, go about your business. It seems like there’s no point in continuing this conversation. I’ll take my leave.”
Cassis’s choice was to avoid the confrontation. He knew there was nothing to be gained from continuing the conversation.
“I never imagined I would see you retreating like this. Truly unexpected.”
However, Yohan did not stop talking even as he watched Cassis turn his back. This was the noble speech he had learned from the young ladies when he was attending the academy.
“With such a cautious attitude, it seems there’s something more going on. Is there something weighing on your mind?”
Yohan spoke in a roundabout way, subtly prodding. Having been on the receiving end of this as a child, he knew how irritating it could be.
“……”
Cassis, however, didn’t respond. It was a wise choice. He knew that continuing the conversation wouldn’t benefit him.
Watching his retreating back, Yohan shrugged and walked toward the office of the First Public Officer.
Knock, knock, knock.
After three knocks, the door opened, revealing the head of the First Public Officer, Duke Renokhonan.
“…Harssen, Special Mage? What brings you here?”
Duke Renokhonan, who was somewhat familiar with Yohan’s name and face, removed his glasses and narrowed his eyes.
“I have something for you to see.”
Despite the pressure from the Duke, Yohan walked boldly to the desk and placed the hyena’s dagger on it.
“…This is…”
The Duke’s face hardened in a cold expression. He knew exactly what this dagger was: it belonged to the hyenas who served his family.
“I’ve been attacked twice by hyenas wielding this dagger. Once while I was with Princess Ferbache, and the second time when I was scouting the miasma surge in the Eckarshi Count’s territory.”
Yohan said with a meaningful smirk, lifting one corner of his mouth.
“As an adult, the conduct of your children is a reflection of your family’s reputation. It’s an excellent family, and I hope that image continues in this troubled world.”
His words were simple, but when interpreted in everyday speech, they meant, “Take better care of your son.”
“……”
Duke Renokhonan’s face grew icy as he stared at the dagger. His fist clenched tightly. It was likely that blood was rushing to his head.
“…I told you to be extra careful.”
The Duke’s voice was low, but there was an overwhelming pressure in the room, as if it were suffocating. A murderous intent filled the air.
“The culprit behind this is clearly targeting Princess Ferbache. But there’s an obstacle, so they must have intended to deal with that first. Naturally, that obstacle would be me, the lover of Princess Ferbache.”
Despite the cold and heavy atmosphere, Yohan didn’t flinch. He even continued provocatively.
“How interesting to see someone who I thought was upright repeatedly making mistakes because of emotions. Truly, it seems that the heart always overrides reason.”
To interpret his words, he was saying, “To be blinded by a woman and make foolish mistakes one after another, it’s really amusing.”
“…I understand your meaning. Harssen, Special Mage, I’ll handle this matter myself.”
Duke Renokhonan, struggling to suppress his rising anger, spoke. If this situation continued, his son would certainly face prison time. That’s why it was necessary for the Duke, a public figure, to handle it personally.
“Unfortunately, that’s impossible. I’ve already informed His Highness the Crown Prince, no, the Commander of the Second Public Office. He said he would handle the investigation himself.”
Yohan had no intention of leaving this matter quietly. He wanted to deal with Cassis, who was unable to distinguish between public and private matters and kept making mistakes.
Moreover, he couldn’t forget the vengeance for the knights who had lost their lives in this incident.
Of course, Yohan knew that if this situation became too noisy, it wouldn’t be good for him either.
The enraged Duke Ferbache could declare war over his territory, and with the influence of the Renokhonan family, the empire could be thrown into turmoil.
If things escalated too much, a civil war could break out.
“Really troublesome…”
Duke Renokhonan pressed his temple with two fingers. It seemed the headache from his son’s actions was starting to take its toll.
“…I understand your point, so you may leave now.”
“Yes.”
Yohan suppressed the urge to cheer and gave a polite bow.
Click
As he left the office of the First Public Official, he couldn’t help but smile to himself.
“So, has Cassis been dealt with?”
It would have been perfect if he were thrown into prison, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t be possible. The Renokhonan family was behind him.
Still, he would lose a lot of his power.
From now on, not even the Hyenas or the Black Knights would be able to move freely.
The battle-hardened battlefield demon that had brought fear to the southern barbarians was also at an end.
* * *
The evening sun had already set.
As soon as she got off work, Francia stormed into Yohan’s room.
Sweat glistened on her forehead, and her breath was slightly labored.
“Yohan!”
There was urgency in Francia’s voice.
“Oh, Francia. You’re here.”
In contrast to her worried expression, Yohan was smiling leisurely.
Francia hesitated for a moment at his calm demeanor, but her concern remained.
“What on earth happened? A monster outbreak…?”
Francia carefully sat down beside him, her trembling fingers held back as she met his gaze.
“You don’t need to worry so much. The monster outbreak was suppressed early on.”
Yohan gently patted her limp hand. As his touch made contact, the trembling in her fingertips gradually subsided.
“See? I’m perfectly fine.”
Yohan spread his arms wide. Francia, now resting in his embrace, gently felt his body. The warmth from his skin and the absence of any injuries reassured her.
“…You’re really okay, right?”
Francia looked over Yohan’s neck and shoulders once again, a faint trace of worry appearing around her eyes.
“Of course.”
To ease Francia’s concerns, Yohan gently brushed her hair away from her face.
She shyly turned her head, but soon smiled and nodded in relief.
“I’m so glad.”
Francia leaned her face against Yohan’s arm that was wrapped around her.
“I’m happy you’re so dependable.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It makes me worried, but it also makes me trust you.”
“Then I’m glad.”
“…But that doesn’t mean you should risk your life.”
“I know.”
“You really understand, right?”
Francia pouted, looking at him with a slight frown after his nonchalant answer.
Yohan gazed at the displeasure on her face with affectionate eyes.
“I understand. I know your heart, your worries. It’s all because you like me.”
As Yohan ruffled Francia’s hair with a teasing touch, she blushed and shyly whispered, still nestled in his arms.
“I feel like I’m the only one who falls for you every time.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yohan, you like me too, right?”
“Of course, that goes without saying.”
“Hehe.”
Francia let out her characteristic laugh and gently caressed Yohan’s thigh with her fingertips. Her eyes glowed softly.
“Tomorrow’s a holiday…”
“That’s right.”
“Tonight… I just want to think about you, Yohan.”
Francia’s whisper grew softer. Her gaze glimmered faintly, and her hand reached out towards him.
“It’s a coincidence. I feel the same.”
At the moment their gazes intertwined, Yohan slowly cupped Francia’s face and gently pressed his lips against hers.
“Mm…”
Her breath trembled slightly, and the air in the room grew warm with the sensation.