“Anyone who causes further disruption will be dealt with under military law. Since the Archbishop of the church is mediating for the allied forces, don’t think you can escape the consequences.”

If no one had intervened, Monte would have drawn his sword and pointed it at Derek. His anger had pushed him far past the point of reason.

Derek knew that verbally provoking Monte wasn’t the best approach. However, he couldn’t let Monte’s blatant disrespect for his superior go unchecked. Tolerating such behavior would make Derek appear weak in the eyes of others, and that was unacceptable.

In the end, Monte’s subordinates managed to pull him out of the meeting room. The meeting concluded in chaos, leaving Derek to exit the tent under the weight of countless resentful and dissatisfied gazes. He let out a heavy sigh, fully aware of the frustration directed at him.

“Are you alright, Commander?”

Bedin approached him cautiously. Derek pressed his fingers to his temple, remaining silent for a moment before finally responding.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Instead, make sure the reconnaissance team gets plenty of rest. Also, gather the Sylvester knights. We need to explore alternative strategies.”

“Commander, I think you should rest as well. You’ll come up with better solutions if you’re well-rested. Running yourself into the ground will only do more harm.”

“I’m fine. What’s the worst that could happen? Death? Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Commander…”

“I’d appreciate it if you stopped nagging. Just leave.”

“…Understood.”

Once everyone had left the meeting room and silence settled in, Derek felt a cold clarity wash over him. Leaning back in his chair, he stared blankly at the ceiling. For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw Etia in his mind’s eye, and the image filled him with sadness.

Derek hadn’t wanted this war either. He had no desire to spend his life on the battlefield, hovering between life and death. Even though death itself felt like a distant concept to him, he still longed for peace.

All he wanted was to return to Sylvester, the land he cherished, and live quietly with Etia. 

He was tired of the Emperor and Crown Prince’s schemes to control him, and he was weary of the endless wars. The monsters, like a curse, relentlessly pursued him, showing no signs of disappearing.

Derek rarely allowed himself to dwell on such dark thoughts, but thinking of Etia always brought them to the surface. Their last moments together had been far from ideal, and he regretted leaving her that way. He wished he could have done things differently.

But nothing would change unless he brought an end to this war. Dwelling on defeatist thoughts would only lead to actual defeat, which would benefit neither him nor his soldiers.

Running a hand over his face, Derek refocused his mind on the reconnaissance team’s report and began reworking his plans. While he had previously avoided risky maneuvers to preserve his soldiers’ lives, he knew he needed to change his strategy.

The longer they delayed, the more morale plummeted. 

He had to find a way to secure food and water and prepare for a decisive battle with the dragon. Even if it meant going alone, Derek was determined to see it through.

* * *

Inside the rattling carriage, Mieva sat across from Etia. Though she was as kind as ever, her expression was unusually grave.

“Dahlia hasn’t seen His Highness since the Night of Prayer. She sent him a letter to check on him, and while he did reply, it was just a brief note saying he was busy. She seems deeply hurt, and she looks unwell.”

Mieva had tried to meet with Dahlia several times, as Etia had requested, but Dahlia had been avoiding leaving the house, making it nearly impossible. 

The few times Mieva did manage to meet her at the Count’s residence, Dahlia spoke very little, leaving Mieva worried about her health.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you visited her yourself? You’re her sister, after all. Family can be more comforting than a friend.”

“Do you think so…?”

Etia had asked Mieva to spend time with Dahlia to observe whether the Crown Prince was acting suspiciously. 

However, neither of them had anticipated that the Crown Prince would so blatantly distance himself from Dahlia. Both women were caught off guard by the situation.

Even though it seemed like the right thing to do as her older sister, Etia hesitated. She was afraid of hearing more hurtful words from Dahlia, things she hadn’t known about herself.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to help.”

“No, it’s not your fault, Mieva. The situation is more serious than I expected. I didn’t think His Highness would avoid her so openly. I thought he’d at least care about appearances.”

“Exactly! How can he neglect his fiancée so soon after their engagement? Shouldn’t His Majesty step in and say something? This is so disrespectful!”

“His Majesty probably wants the engagement to end as well. He’s never been fond of our family holding too much power. If the engagement is called off, it’ll weaken us, which works in his favor. After all, breakups tend to hurt women more than men.”

“That’s awful… Is this what politics is? So cold and heartless that people’s feelings don’t even matter?”

“Haha… I suppose so.”

With no useful information gained from Mieva, Etia decided she needed to speak with Count Neiden again. 

She hoped that the person her father had placed in the palace might have uncovered something that could ease her concerns.

But as the situation dragged on with no resolution in sight, Etia began to feel a deep sense of helplessness. 

The issues with Derek had already spiraled out of her control, and with him gone to the Land of Fire, there was nothing she could do. Adding the Crown Prince’s actions to the mix only increased her mental burden.

Noticing Etia’s silence, Mieva leaned closer, lowering her voice as though someone might overhear.

“I felt so bad about everything that I asked my brother about it. He doesn’t hold a high position, so he doesn’t know much, but he did mention something strange. Apparently, His Highness has been spending a lot of time with the knights lately. He’s been attending their training sessions almost every day.”

“Why? To boost morale?”

“That’s what my brother thought at first, but something doesn’t seem right.”

“What do you mean?”

Even though they were alone in the carriage, Mieva glanced around nervously before leaning in closer to Etia.

“He’s been carefully reviewing the knights’ performance and has appointed a few of them as his personal guards.”

“That doesn’t seem unusual. It’s only natural for the Crown Prince to have a personal guard.”

“True, but why aren’t those knights with him?”

“What?”

“For the past few days, no one has seen those knights. Their names are on the roster, but they’re nowhere to be found.”

“…”

Mieva sat back, as though her story was complete, but Etia remained frozen. Knights appointed as personal guards who weren’t actually by the Crown Prince’s side? It was a suspicious detail, just as Mieva had suggested.

“Apparently, no one even knew they’d been appointed. My brother only found out while organizing the roster. The number of knights around the Crown Prince hasn’t changed, but the names have. And those newly appointed knights aren’t part of the royal guard.”

“That is strange.”

“Exactly. When I heard about it, my heart sank. I’m telling you this, but I really hope my brother was mistaken. I don’t even want to imagine what His Highness might be planning to do with those men.”

Mieva shook her head as though trying to dispel the thought, letting out a deep sigh. Etia offered a weak reassurance, but her mind was far from at ease.

Recently, the Crown Prince’s sole focus had been on bringing Derek into the political sphere. 

Now that his efforts had failed, there was no way he would simply give up. Thinking otherwise would be foolish, and Mieva’s story only added to Etia’s unease.

Staring out the window, Etia fell into deep thought. She regretted letting Derek leave the way he had. What if the Crown Prince’s obsession led to harm? What if Derek was hurt, even just a little? 

The thought filled her with dread.

Clatter—

“Ah!”

“Are you alright, Madam?!”

“What’s going on?!”

The carriage suddenly lurched violently, tilting as though it might tip over. Both Etia and Mieva lost their balance, falling to the floor. Though the door didn’t fly open, the abrupt incident left them both shaken.

“Madam, we need to stop for a moment. I think one of the wheels is damaged.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m sorry, Madam.”

Though the carriage eventually steadied, it took some time for the two women to catch their breath. Etia, in particular, was overwhelmed by memories of a previous carriage accident in Sylvester, making her heart race uncontrollably.

“Madam, are you alright? You’re sweating so much.”

“I’m fine…”

“Perhaps we should turn back. You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine, really. I promised you, didn’t I? I was just startled, that’s all.”

Etia wiped the sweat from her face, only realizing now how much she had been sweating. Her damp hands embarrassed her, and she forced a weak smile.

Fortunately, the carriage resumed its journey without further incident. Mieva kept the conversation going, helping to ease the lingering tension. 

However, Etia still felt a tightness in her chest and had to endure the discomfort until they reached their destination.

* * *

When they arrived at the western tower, Mieva was immediately captivated. From the self-opening doors to the expansive hall and the glass ceiling that revealed the sky, everything seemed to amaze her. 

Watching Mieva’s enthusiastic reactions, Etia found herself smiling, glad she had invited her.

“Welcome, Duchess.”

“It’s been a while, Malon. And Rose, it’s good to see you again. How have you been?”

Malon and Rose were waiting in the hall, as Etia had informed them of her visit in advance. 

Rose, who had grown noticeably more mature, greeted them with a natural grace that made Etia proud. Mieva introduced herself with her usual warmth.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Mieva Caltana. Please, just call me Mieva.”

“Hello, Miss Mieva. I’m Malon, a mage of the tower and Rose’s mentor.”

“Hello, Malon. It’s so nice to meet you. This is my first time meeting a mage up close! My family’s territory is too small to hire a mage, so this is such an honor!”

“Haha, I wouldn’t call it an honor… Shall we head to my room?”

Mieva’s excitement showed no signs of fading, and while Malon seemed a bit flustered, he didn’t appear displeased. How many nobles would declare it an “honor” to meet a mage? 

Etia suspected Malon was simply unused to such expressions.

Once inside Malon’s room, which was noticeably tidier than before, the group settled around the central table. Etia smiled softly at the sight, and Malon, catching her expression, looked sheepish.

“By the way, where’s Jaida? Is she not here?”

“Oh, Jaida is busy packing.”

“Packing? Is she going somewhere far?”