“Are you ready?”

Kristin looked at Duke Raphael, who had changed into his merchant attire, and asked, “How does it feel?”

“It’s my first time wearing a merchant’s outfit. I feel like I’ve become a guild master,” Duke Raphael remarked, examining his clothes.

They had already left the duke’s residence in the early morning hours.

The dense fog of the cold winter weather made it easy for them to travel unnoticed from the duke’s residence to the harbor.

Kristin and Duke Raphael had both disguised themselves as merchants.

It was still very early in the day when the two finished their preparations and boarded the ship,

Fortunately, no one recognized the pair disguised as merchants at the harbor.

Duke Raphael felt a mix of unfamiliarity and amusement as he walked through the area, as no one acknowledged or greeted him.

It had been a simple change when he disguised himself as a commoner with a concealed face at the Vincent Orphanage. But now, fully dressed as a merchant from head to toe, he couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.

“Kristin,” Duke Raphael called as he sat on one of the benches on the ship.

“Yes, Your Grace?”

Kristin, watching the duke smile for some time now, responded with a slightly perplexed expression, wondering what he found so amusing.

“You seem like a child right now, Your Grace. Aren’t you afraid? To be honest, I’m a bit scared,” she admitted.

“I was just thinking about how strange it feels to be in disguise with you again. The last time was enjoyable, and now I find myself laughing again,” he replied.

“Goodness, Your Grace, you are like a child,” Kristin replied, shaking her head.

Still smiling warmly, the duke gently took Kristin’s hand in his. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he spoke reassuringly.

“I find it fascinating to think we have the power to change the future. And if it turns out that Princess Rebella is plotting something malicious, I won’t let it go. Not this time.”

“Your Grace,” Kristin said in response, though her thoughts began to drift.

She wondered if the knights were still training in the Eriha region.

If the knights had accompanied Princess Rebella as her escort, the Eriha region would likely have been deserted.

If they ended up uncovering nothing, it would be a waste of time, and Kristin was prepared to use the pocket watch to turn back time again if needed.

But there was one thing she couldn’t understand.

Even before dealing with the Vincent Orphanage, Kristin had received threatening letters.

That had been before Duke Raphael met Princess Rebella.

Who, then, had sent those letters?

Her thoughts grew increasingly tangled.

For now, however, she had to focus on the task given by the Pope.

If the soldiers were still training there and a portrait remained on display, she could confirm if it was her likeness.

The portrait might have been erred if the situation also involved Emperor Lucas Aedon.

Even so, what troubled her most was the idea of training multiple soldiers instead of just one.

“If we investigate the matter, we’re bound to uncover something,” Duke Raphael said, looking at Kristin.

An hour later, the ship carrying them finally arrived at a harbor in the Praga Empire.

Upon arriving in the Praga Empire, Kristin couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration as she looked around the harbor.

The architecture in the Praga Empire was distinctly different from that of the Union Empire.

Buildings painted in vibrant colors lined the streets, and spaces between the structures were designed for people to travel by small boats.

The wide canal was dotted with imperial citizens riding boats, creating a peaceful and leisurely atmosphere.

For the first time, Kristin could take in such a breathtaking scene.

Perhaps, in her entire life, she might never have had the chance to see such views.

The stunning sunrise she had witnessed while traveling by ship made the beauty even more memorable

However, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness, knowing the purpose of her visit wasn’t to enjoy a journey with Duke Raphael but to investigate an incident.

“This empire is magnificent,” Raphael remarked. “I can understand why Princess Rebella is so desperate for my support. If the entire empire is as stunning as this, it’s no surprise she’d want to claim it as her own and strengthen her power—for the sake of the land she loves. But even so, I can’t fully justify her actions.”

“I see,” Kristin replied. “But part of me hopes she wasn’t the one who tried to kill you, Your Grace. It would be better if it was a mistake, that I was the intended target instead. After all, you’re not someone who should die in such a manner.”

Raphael couldn’t reveal the truth about his past despite Kristin’s words.

This was his second chance at life, and he had been killed once before—while investigating Kristin’s carriage accident.

He couldn’t tell her that truth, fearing it would shock her.

Instead, he smiled gently and said, “My life doesn’t matter. What matters is you, Kristin. That’s why I’m conducting this investigation—to protect you.”

Moved by his words, Kristin’s eyes filled with tears.

At that moment, a carriage appeared, and they decided to take it.

The area they were in was the port city of Yudella, part of the Praga Empire.

They had learned from others on the ship that it took about twenty minutes by carriage to reach Eriha from Yudella.

Twenty minutes wasn’t far, so they decided to head straight there.

They boarded the carriage and set off for the Eriha region.

Unlike the peaceful and serene atmosphere of Yudella, Eriha had no buildings in sight when they arrived.

Instead, rows of military tents stretched out, and the sheer number of soldiers training there made it hard to imagine this had ever been a quiet rural area.

“This looks even more suspicious than I anticipated,” Kristin commented. “This doesn’t seem like an ordinary military training camp. The variety of weapons and the number of soldiers are far too unusual.”

As Kristin stepped out of the carriage to survey the area, someone stopped her.
It was a soldier standing guard.

The soldier gestured to the coachman, checking his travel permit, and then approached Kristin and Raphael, extending his hand and speaking sternly.

“Show me your permits. This area is set to be sealed off by order of Her Highness the Princess in a few days. If you’re heading elsewhere, I advise you not to linger here, or it may disrupt your journey.”

When the soldier addressed them, Kristin and Raphael produced the permits they had prepared the day before.

They had written aliases instead of using their real names. To further avoid suspicion they presented two merchant permits and explained their purpose.

“We’re not sure what’s going on, but we’re just merchants,” Kristin explained. “We planned to stop by a nearby village for some rest after finishing our errands.”

“Ah, I see. May I ask which country you’ve come from?”

The soldier was curious because the passes they showed were unfamiliar in the Praga Empire. Hearing his question, Kristin and Duke Raphael responded simultaneously without hesitation.

“We’ve come from the Union Empire.”

“From the Union Empire.”

As soon as they said this, the soldier’s face hardened noticeably. It seemed he already knew something, his expression betraying his unease as he glanced up and down at the pair before cautiously speaking again.

“If you’ve come from the Union Empire, it might be better for you not to return.”

“What?”

Kristin asked in surprise, unprepared for such a remark. The soldier sighed heavily before continuing.

“A major event might occur soon. That’s all you need to know.”

A major event?

Kristin couldn’t make sense of what the soldier was implying.

“What kind of event?” she pressed. “And why are there so many soldiers stationed in this area?”

The soldier hesitated, glancing around nervously as if checking for eavesdroppers. After deliberation, he sighed deeply and spoke, lowering his voice.

“You claim to be merchants, so I’ll tell you as I assume you’re ordinary citizens. The Praga Empire is preparing for war with the Union Empire.”

“What?”

“Is that true?”

Duke Raphael, startled, shook his head in disbelief as he locked eyes with the soldier.

He had seen many soldiers preparing for battle and this one was trembling—not just in his voice but in his entire posture. Judging by his youthful tone, the soldier appeared to be a boy conscript.

The fact that such a young and inexperienced individual was being mobilized spoke volumes. The war must be imminent if even boy soldiers were being deployed.