After discovering the temple, Sophia was holding back as much as she could. Nevertheless, she found herself buried in the temple and its books.

At night, Sophia spent hours poring over ancient documents and old maps with a sense of longing, and at dawn, she would dash off to the temple.

Seeing her head off to the temple again, Jack shook his head.

“I’m telling you, it’s like she’s been enchanted by something in that temple dedicated to the goddess Titania.”

John tugged Jack’s ear, interrupting him.

“Stop saying nonsense. Did you finish everything I asked you to do?”

“What do you mean? You keep giving me so much to do, and then just say ‘the stuff I asked’—how am I supposed to know?”

“You should know. Of course, you should know. Why do you think I’ve been keeping you here since morning?”

Jack finally realized and replied with a start.

“Horses!”

“Right, so you finally remembered? How did it go?”

“I gathered the list and sent a bunch of letters, but nobody responded. It seems that not even Ariel plans to sell us any horses. Looks like we’ll have to go buy them ourselves.”

John extended his hand toward Jack’s other ear.

“And you’re just telling me now?”

“I’m sorry.”

Gunther walked by with a big grin as Jack endured John’s scolding, and Jack, despite the pain, shot him a glare. Gunther’s smile only grew brighter.

“Doesn’t he get tired of smiling all the time? I doubt he’s even smiling for real.”

“And who are you to worry about him? Gunther works well and gets along with everyone. Even with those who were uneasy about him being sent by the Emperor, he’s now on friendly terms. How about you? You’re just a lowly errand boy, and you’re already running up tabs?”

“Ow! Ow! It really hurts, Father! It’s urgent. I remembered something Mom asked me to get, but I didn’t have any money…”

“Oh, she asked for a bouquet, did she? Really?”

“Yes? Oh, flowers?”

“What? So, it wasn’t just one tab?”

Watching the father-son exchange, Gunther then made his way to the Baron’s study. The door to Baron Ariel’s office was always open. Sophia’s desk was piled with old maps and books on one side, while another stack of books sat on the other.

Noticing this, Baron Ariel sighed and spoke.

“She seems to be deeply engrossed these days.”

“Aren’t you concerned? She climbs the mountain alone, and though she calls it a temple, it’s really just a cave. If the lord’s daughter is alone in the mountains…”

“Since the temple was discovered, the Border Patrol now monitors that path and inspects the temple every morning and evening to make sure no one else has entered. Plus, she’s been exploring Titania Mountain since she was six, so she knows the area like the back of her hand. It’s practically her backyard.”

“So, you’re protecting her in your own way, even if it’s not obvious?”

“She’s too excited to stop, so doing at least this much gives me some peace of mind. What else can I do?”

Gunther chuckled.

“Do you know why Lady Sophia is so deeply interested in the goddess Titania and the temple?”

Baron Ariel smiled.

“I know, but it doesn’t seem like something the inspector needs to hear. Just some childhood memories.”

Gunther looked over at Sophia’s desk, unsure whether the Baron was lying or genuinely unaware.

Suddenly, Gunther sensed that Sophia might have a different reason for her obsession with the temple and her study of myths. Although she claimed it was a hobby, Gunther had discovered that Sophia was actually writing a book.

She also called gardening a hobby, but unlike any greenhouse he had seen, Sophia’s was filled with rare, valuable medicinal herbs, mostly for sale.

Even though she claimed it was a hobby, Gunther saw it as something with a clear purpose.

“She definitely has a goal,” he thought.

Gunther’s official mission was to oversee and audit expenditures, ensuring that the central funds weren’t being misused by the lord or his family on luxuries or personal expenses.

There was also an unofficial mission: monitoring the situation in the territory.

It was these unofficial tasks that made most lords resent inspectors.

‘Being called the Emperor’s lackey is all part of the job,’ he mused.

Gunther sat at a desk and began writing his report. Baron Ariel glanced at him before returning to his own work.

The Baron and his family were humbler than any other noble family Gunther had ever met. And they neither flaunted nor saw it as something special.

They lived this way because it was all they could manage with the territory’s limited means. Yet not all poor nobles behaved like Baron Ariel.

‘There are plenty of lords who, instead of showing restraint, just squeeze their subjects harder.’

Gunther could name at least ten such lords. Modesty and humility were virtues not simply acquired by poverty.

To Gunther, Baron Ariel was someone who loved the Titania Mountain and Ariel to his very core. When he took a break from work, he would gaze out at the Titania Mountain or look around his office with affectionate eyes.

The same held true for his children. Gunther also knew Alex, renowned as a handsome man in the capital. Since marrying into a wealthy bourgeois family, Alex had been out of touch, but he was now back in Ariel, diligently working.

Although Alex was wary of Gunther, he neither underestimated him nor treated him disrespectfully. It seemed likely that Baron Ariel’s successor would follow in his footsteps as a lord.

Since discovering the temple, Sophia had been spending most of her time outside. Her current state seemed quite different from the rumors he had heard.

‘Wasn’t she supposed to be a poor, aging lady barely getting by after some great heartbreak? But she looks healthy and seems to be happily pursuing small hobbies.’

However, there were also many things about her that seemed suspicious for someone merely engaged in “small hobbies.”

Gunther was beginning to think that Ariel, which he had assumed to be a weak house that Wiscombe could use and discard, was actually more resilient than it seemed.

The two-hundred-strong border patrol moved through the Titania Mountain Range as if it were their backyard, and there were numerous civilians familiar with the terrain. Soldiers known as the elite of Umbriel had once been stationed here and later returned to Umbriel, but if Ariel were to call for help, they would likely come at once.

Even without Baron Ariel, Alex or Sophia could easily act as lords on his behalf, and even John seemed capable of handling leadership in their stead.

‘A capable team in a harmonious, cooperative relationship…’

Investing the budget in such a domain was certainly not a waste. The baron and Ariel’s administrators seemed to be pushing projects forward as if they feared someone would snatch the budget away.

They claimed they were catching up on long-delayed tasks due to budget shortages, but to Gunther, it appeared they were working with urgency.

Though not in the finest condition for a border territory, Ariel showed no signs of instability. The relationship between the lord and his people was also exemplary.

Gunther tried to write his report as honestly as possible, but he felt uneasy, uncertain about how the Emperor would react upon reading it.

After submitting his report, Gunther felt a pang of regret at the thought of leaving Ariel and took a tour around the domain to commit it to memory.

He even took the chance to tease Jack by smiling whenever he saw him.

***

The Emperor chuckled in disbelief after receiving Gunther’s report from Caliban.

“Feels like I’m reading a fairy tale. A lord loved by his people, and the people respecting and trusting their lord?”

“The Ariel family has always been known for its humility, with each lord reputed to care deeply for their land. The very goal of a strong border defense is the protection of its people, so this isn’t entirely surprising.”

“I envy them. To maintain such a solid tradition over generations…”

“It’s likely because they’ve been poor. If it were a wealthy area, such peace would have been difficult to sustain. They would have been swallowed up by other territories. The border keeps the Ariel family poor, but it also protects them.”

“If a baron like Ariel were to abandon his land, that would be my failure.”

Caliban nodded. If even a man like Baron Ariel were to forsake his domain, it would indicate the nation was not being well-governed.

The Emperor considered recalling Gunther, but hesitated. Sending Gunther to Ariel was partly because of Umbriel.

If Robert gained any power, Cressida would undoubtedly scheme. In the worst case, they might even attempt to orchestrate a rebellion.

Gunther’s presence close to Umbriel was essential to prevent such events.

Closing the report, the Emperor spoke to Caliban.

“Gunther seems to be enjoying Ariel. Let’s leave him there a little longer.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

—

Having received the Emperor’s orders, Gunther regretted that he had already mentioned his departure here and there. On top of that, encouraged by Sophia, he had sold all his mountain equipment to a man named Jason for a bargain.

With a smile, Baron Ariel told Gunther of the one-year extension of his assignment in Ariel.

“Lurking around without work can’t be easy, can it? So, I was wondering…”

“Oh… Work, is it?”

The Baron continued, “Indeed. Sophia mentioned you find our employment practices rather intriguing.”

“Oh? Well…”

“This will be your chance to experience it firsthand.”

Just then, John entered the room.

“You’ve finally found a schoolteacher?”

Gunther spotted Jack following John into the office, though he wasn’t scowling at Gunther as he usually did. Instead, Jack looked Gunther in the eyes and smiled brightly.

Thus, Gunther began his dual role as both a teacher and an inspector in Ariel.

—

Sophia was still deeply absorbed in the temple.

Her interest in ancient texts and the Titania myths stemmed from childhood when her mother frequently told her stories about the goddess Titania.

“The founder of Ariel. Sophia.”

According to legend, Sophia Ariel became the guardian of the tomb of the goddess Titania, and ever since, Ariel had lived close by the goddess.

The tales always included the goddess’s treasure, a gift she bestowed upon Sophia.

As a child, Sophia had dreamed of finding the goddess Titania’s gift to enrich her land, and from then on, she began her quest for treasure.

Baron Ariel, amused by the grand ambitions of a young child, supported Sophia wholeheartedly. Though he was too busy to examine them himself, he gave her access to the old Ariel family archives.

As long as Sophia followed a few simple rules, she could look through the ancient documents and maps whenever she pleased.

“Do not take them out of the library, handle them carefully, and avoid any damage.”

This was why Sophia set up her desk in Baron Ariel’s office. The baron watched her with affectionate eyes.

“Titania’s true gift must be you.”

Inside the temple’s cavern, there was an entrance leading to another cave. Sophia looked at it intently.

“I hope it’s a gold mine,” she thought, gazing at the newly discovered cave entrance with a gleam of excitement.

Despite her hopes, the cave seemed more like a passageway to somewhere rather than a mine.

Though there were no branches to the path, and she had no idea where it led or turned, Sophia cautiously released a thread as a safety measure, marking her path with numbers along the way.

It was strange—she felt as if she was moving downward, even though she didn’t feel any incline while walking. The growing chill confirmed her descent.

“Next time, I’ll bring an extra coat,” she thought.

Although she suspected there might be a slight slope in the cave, she couldn’t sense it. Initially, she wondered if this long path might be a secret tunnel crossing the Saturn border, or a hidden route from Saturn into Ariel.

Fortunately, although she was heading underground, there were no insects or animals around. Perhaps, given that it was a temple, there was a secret way to keep it clean.

“Thank goodness. Having something crawl underfoot in the dark or bite the fingers feeling along the walls… Ugh, Goddess Titania, thank you so much.”

Sophia felt an inkling that she might actually find the treasure she had once promised her mother she’d discover.

With one hand holding a torch and the other guiding the thread, she proceeded cautiously, taking each step with care.

Finally, a new sound reached her ears—the trickling of water. While there was a water source underground, the air wasn’t overly damp.

At last, Sophia arrived in an underground chamber.