“I’m sorry, but it’s not possible. I’ve already decided to spend this Thanksgiving with Mother.”

Evelyn pressed her lips together and nodded at my words.

Though her obvious disappointment tugged at my conscience, I couldn’t abandon my plans for something so trivial.

“However, going out sometime after Thanksgiving wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

When I added this, Evelyn’s eyes widened before breaking into a bright smile.

“Yes!”

I curled my lips into a slight smile as she nodded her head vigorously.

* * *

But then again, life is interesting precisely because things rarely go according to plan.

That afternoon, I clutched my head in frustration at the news Rigan brought during his report.

“What? All mages will be working during Thanksgiving? Even those who’ve been stationed abroad?”

“Yes, notifications have been sent to our imperial court and other royal courts as well. Because of this, several mages assigned to our imperial household returned to the Magic Tower yesterday. You even signed their return approval documents yourself.”

“I thought only those summoned by the Magic Tower were affected. Besides, it’s Thanksgiving. Who would have expected them to work then?”

“Well, mages are notorious for not showing up to work even on regular days.”

“But why did it have to be this Thanksgiving of all times!”

“Is something the matter?”

“I was planning to go to the Magic Tower with my doll. I specifically chose Thanksgiving because the place is usually crawling with mages.”

“In that case, you’d better abandon the plan. According to official rumors, the Magic Tower has declared an emergency situation and won’t have the capacity to receive outside visitors.”

“Emergency situation?”

I stopped pulling at my hair and looked up. Rigan nodded and shuffled through his documents.

“I was going to report this to you later, but a creature presumed to be a magic beast has been discovered in the Cartrier Forest. They’re keeping it quiet because they haven’t confirmed whether it’s definitely a magic beast or what type it might be.”

“Wait, isn’t Cartrier Forest not far from Arsis?”

“Correct. The Kingdom of Beloem, where Cartrier Forest is located, is in an uproar. The royal court is trying to hush everything up, but as you know, our people stationed in Beloem have been reporting back discreetly.”

Probably the spies I sent to foreign courts after my coronation. The welfare of neighboring countries greatly affects Arsis, after all.

“I suspect the Magic Tower’s sudden additional shifts are related to this.”

“Magic beasts… Why would creatures that only lived beyond the Death Barrier in the north suddenly appear in the center of the continent rather than the northern regions?”

“That I don’t know. But one thing is certain—if it truly is a magic beast…”

“Then Arsis is in danger too.”

I murmured coldly, having regained my composure.

While Cartrier Forest doesn’t directly border Arsis, it’s still quite close. Even if nothing has been discovered within Arsis’s borders yet, that could change at any moment.

‘First the emergence of black magic, and now magic beasts. It would be nonsensical not to connect the two.’

Still, I couldn’t exactly invade the Kingdom of Beloem to demand an investigation.

The fact that the Magic Tower had mobilized on such a large scale meant they too recognized the gravity of the situation.

“I need to contact Viole.”

“The Tower Master? She must be overwhelmed right now.”

“So what if she’s overwhelmed? Am I supposed to be considerate?”

After all, Viole became Tower Master partly due to my recommendation.

I created her position today, and she knew it well, which is why she rarely disobeyed my orders.

Of course, she sometimes put on airs of defiance, but did I ever care about such things?

“Not going to the Magic Tower personally is already consideration enough on my part.”

“But how will you contact her in your current form?”

“I have my doll. Viole may be a genius, but she won’t recognize a doll through communication magic, especially with Lerrhagen’s power backing me.”

“At this point, it seems like Lord Lerrhagen was summoned just to be used by Your Majesty.”

“Obviously. Why would I summon someone I couldn’t use?”

“That’s so like Your Majesty.”

I responded to Rigan’s comment with a bright smile.

“You sound like you’re looking forward to me creating work during Thanksgiving. Is that what you want?”

“Not at all. I need to return to Duke Delmen’s residence this Thanksgiving.”

I looked somewhat surprised at Rigan’s words. This fellow normally lived in a separate townhouse in the capital—what was bringing him home?

Seemingly nonchalant, Rigan adjusted his glasses and murmured.

“My sister is coming.”

“…Iris? Didn’t she go to Floris because of the conflict between House Delmen and the Past Trading Company? Has it been resolved already?”

“My sister has always been that way. An exceptional heir.”

Rigan’s eyes subtly darkened as he spoke. I closed my mouth, looked at him for a moment, then smiled faintly.

“You’re a genius too.”

“In ways my father disapproves of.”

“What does it matter if Duke Delmen disapproves? What matters is that you’re a genius and my aide.”

Rigan raised an eyebrow at my arrogant statement. Soon after, he closed the folder of documents and said:

“I’ll contact the Magic Tower.”

“Good. Tell them I’ll be in touch tomorrow, and if they don’t answer, I’ll blow up the Tower. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Rigan, who had bowed and was about to leave the room, paused at my words.

I fell into thought briefly before looking at him again and speaking.

“I’ll be going out during Thanksgiving.”

“Suddenly going out? With whom?”

“With Evelyn Adler. Don’t worry, we won’t be going alone.”

“You’re going out with Marquis Adler’s daughter? You, Your Majesty?”

“What else can I do? She wants to go to the festival.”

Rigan looked somewhat surprised at my words. However, he soon spoke with a composed expression, though with a subtle smile playing on his face.

“Your Majesty, I’ve been thinking—perhaps staying as a child wouldn’t be so bad after all.”

“Shut up. If I can’t return to my adult form, I’ll turn you into a child too, remember that.”

Knowing my temperament well enough to realize I was perfectly capable of doing just that, Rigan quietly closed his mouth and left.

Click.

I glanced at the firmly closed door before looking back at the documents in my hand.

‘So, magic beasts have appeared.’

Although I hadn’t told Rigan, I actually had my reasons for suddenly deciding to go to the festival.

‘With the festival approaching and magic beasts appearing in a country bordering Arsis, it somehow feels like a warning.’

I hoped it was just my paranoia, but I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

It was almost like a whisper suggesting that after Death Gorge and Beloem’s forest, the next target would be—

‘The Arsis Empire.’

The empire had always strengthened border security during festival periods and assigned the Imperial Knights to guard outside the palace, taking extra precautions.

Crowded places were naturally chaotic, making them ideal locations for incidents.

‘Since I’ve already decided to take Evelyn out, I might as well use this opportunity to observe the capital’s atmosphere.’

I just hoped my concerns would prove unfounded.

With these thoughts, I picked up my pen.

* * *

The next day, after receiving a reply from the Magic Tower, I went to find Lerrhagen.

“I need to communicate with the Tower Master at two o’clock this afternoon. Could you make me a doll?”

“…”

Lerrhagen, who had been lounging comfortably in the sunlight, slowly turned his head.

“The Tower Master?”

“Yes. I originally planned to visit the Magic Tower during the festival, but my plans changed, so I want to at least make contact.”

“Is this because of the magic beast discovered in Cartrier Forest?”

“Oh? You knew about that?”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t directly related, but I omitted that detail and showed a surprised expression.

“You haven’t left the palace for days. How did you know?”

“I just… know things.”

I bit my lip hard at Lerrhagen’s dismissive answer.

‘Typical!’

“Anyway, will you make the doll for me?”

“Yes.”

When Lerrhagen agreed, I inwardly rejoiced.

After all, one should make good use of useful resources.

With this thought, I was about to leave the garden when, unusually, Lerrhagen called me back.

“What do you intend to do by contacting the Magic Tower?”

“I want to ask about news related to Death Gorge and the recent appearance of magic beasts.”

“Are you planning to go to Death Gorge?”

“That’s absurd.”

I frowned.

Of course, I had been speculating that Death Gorge might hold some clues.

The problem was that, as a former stronghold of demon folk, there was very little publicly available information about the place.

It was too dangerous to approach relying solely on magical ability.

“If I had planned to go myself, I wouldn’t have bothered gathering information from the Magic Tower.”

“I see.”

“Why, are you worried I might go?”

I asked him with a crooked smile. Of course, I already knew the answer.

‘He wouldn’t worry. He’s not even my real father.’

Even my real father wouldn’t have worried about such things.

My father would have provided a carriage and told me to die well if I had announced I was going to Death Gorge.

However, contrary to my expectations, Lerrhagen’s pale eyes slowly turned toward me, and his voice resonated through the garden.

“Yes.”

“…”