Sir Dione spoke with an uneasy expression.

“Something has felt off ever since Oberon’s plan started to go awry…”

“Enough. Tomorrow is crucial. If Prince Frederick is attacked, Ariel won’t be able to escape Cressida’s wrath. Plus, Wiscombe is already eager to strike at Ariel.”

Sir Dione asked desperately, “Do you think this will work? We don’t really know what kind of person Sir Gareth is. Can they even cross the Titania Mountains? Even if it’s just ten men, the border defenses must have been strengthened.”

“Titania is so vast—how could there not be blind spots? They’re already inside Ariel by now. If they’re caught, they can just claim to be a delegation sent from Saturn to meet us.”

Sir Dione returned to his room, still feeling uneasy.

“An article claiming the king is a sodomite… This madness… I just hope it doesn’t drag my family into this. At this rate, won’t Sir Enceladus and I end up with our heads displayed on the city gates side by side?”

***

While Sir Dione spent a restless night, the Titania Mountains were bustling with activity. Ten elite soldiers from Saturn had infiltrated Ariel and entered a remote mountain village, unaware that they were being followed. After rendezvousing at the village entrance, they found a small cabin where they changed their clothes.

Unbeknownst to them, two Ariel rangers had trailed them to the village.

“As expected, they’ve been persistently scouting Ariel disguised as woodcutters. We’ll take care of them before any battles begin.”

“Cunning bastards. Even after we’ve cleaned them up so many times, they still keep coming. It’s revolting.”

“What should we do about those ten?”

“Pretend we don’t know they’re here until the battle starts.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

It was the third morning since their arrival in Ariel and the final day of their stay. Sir Dione, with a haggard face from sleepless nights, was having breakfast with Sir Enceladus.

The soldiers of Ariel were already busy training, as usual, their shouts echoing even inside the castle where the two men sat.

Sir Dione, pale and exhausted, muttered, “Waking up every morning to their drill commands… It’s relentless. Should we delay the battle for a few days? The soldiers of Ariel might collapse from exhaustion first.”

“Or they might turn into skilled warriors instead. We can’t afford to wait for Ariel to develop an army and a knightly order when all they had before was a defense force.”

“Is that so? Somehow, I don’t feel good about this. Everything about this plan feels off. It’s exhausting, and the discrepancies in Methone’s plan and the actual situation are unsettling.”

Sir Enceladus shook his head.

“Don’t overthink it. Even Methone couldn’t anticipate every reaction from Ariel. If we can just succeed in involving Prince Frederick, this trip to Ariel will be a resounding success. And as for your joke, we can always blame Ariel for that.”

“Perhaps.”

“Yes. Now, let’s meet with Prince Frederick. It’s the last day, so we should bid him farewell.”

Sir Dione nodded. In his mind, he could think only of the consequences they would face if they didn’t achieve victory.

Sir Enceladus, though lacking appetite, forced himself to eat. The war had already begun, and any chance to tilt the odds in their favor had to be seized without hesitation.

***

Prince Frederick was on the verge of going mad from boredom. At least the journey to Ariel had been enjoyable—there was the pleasure of travel and some conversation along the way.

Since arriving in Ariel, however, he had been plagued by monotony. The Marquis of Ariel and the others were busy preparing for war, and Sir Gareth, preoccupied with training, only allowed him to observe but did not engage in conversation.

Moreover, he had to be mindful of appearances in Ariel. While everyone in Ariel kept their distance from and remained wary of the Saturn delegation, Prince Frederick couldn’t be seen acting overly familiar with them.

He despised staying in his room. It was utterly inadequate. The window was too small, and while the fireplace provided warmth, the room became stifling. If he opened the window for fresh air, the temperature plummeted.

Prince Frederick resolved to return to the capital as soon as the Saturn delegation ascended Titania.

On the third and final day, however, another guest arrived in Ariel. The Saturn delegation pinned their hopes on this new visitor.

***

By now, Prince Frederick had grown weary of watching training drills. The thought of climbing mountains was even less appealing, especially in Ariel’s winter weather.

“Even in spring, I wouldn’t want to climb those rough, treacherous mountains,” he grumbled.

Gunther spoke.

“It’s too dangerous. We can’t allow the prince to go to such places, not knowing when Saturn’s spies or ambush troops might appear.”

Prince Frederick nodded.

‘That’s a convenient excuse.’

There was nothing worth seeing in Ariel. Everywhere he looked, the towering Titania Mountains obstructed his view.

At Frederick’s expressed desire to see the black warhorse owned by Sir Gareth and his retinue, Gunther led him to the plains where the horse was kept.

Sir Gareth, busy with training, had left the black warhorse to roam freely on Ariel’s fields.

Gunther explained, “The black warhorse is a powerful creature. If confined to the stables all day, it gets restless and tries to escape. So when Sir Gareth doesn’t have time to ride it, he lets it roam at the base of the Titania Mountains.”

“No one tries to steal it?”

“Sir Gareth said that if two or three strong men tried, at least two of them would have their chests crushed by its hind hooves. Even if there’s some exaggeration, it’s clear the horse isn’t easy to steal.”

Hearing this, Frederick grew more eager. As a lover of horseback riding, he also had an eye for fine horses. Though he had heard of the famed black warhorses of the Gareth family, he had never seen one in person. They were rare, even within the Gareth family.

As they approached the plains, they couldn’t see the horse yet, but the sound of galloping hooves reached their ears.

“Oh! The sound of those hooves suggests it’s a massive creature,” Frederick exclaimed.

Gunther frowned.

“Something’s not right. The hoofbeats are too fast and loud.”

Listening closely, Frederick agreed. He sat atop his horse, waiting for the black warhorse to appear.

What emerged, however, was not just the black warhorse. Behind it came a group of more than ten masked individuals.

Frederick scowled.

“Are they here to steal the black warhorse?”

Gunther ordered Frederick’s guards to move forward and had the prince retreat to safety.

He shouted, “Do not leave Prince Frederick’s side until we’ve identified their intent and identity!”

Hearing Gunther’s command, the masked group immediately charged toward Frederick. But before they could reach him, another group of soldiers on horseback came charging out from behind Frederick.

For a moment, Frederick thought Gunther might be leading him into a trap as he watched the masked figures approach. But when the soldiers appeared behind him, he nodded toward Gunther, understanding the situation.

Even in that fleeting moment, Gunther could read the prince’s initial suspicion, shock, and eventual relief.

‘It’s only natural to suspect. Anyone would.’

The masked group hesitated upon seeing the soldiers, but they couldn’t retreat. Their orders were simple:

“Threaten and terrify Prince Frederick at all costs.”

Even if they didn’t physically harm the prince, the mere fact that he had been attacked would deal a blow to Ariel.

At that moment, the black warhorse stopped behind the masked group.

Frederick had initially thought Gunther was exaggerating about the horse’s lethal hind kicks. But when he saw the horse knock out attackers, causing them to cough up blood, he had no choice but to believe it.

In the distance, Sir Gareth’s voice boomed.

“Who dares try to steal my Shadow? That bastard will regret being born today. Shadow!”

Everyone—soldiers, guards, Gunther, and even Prince Frederick—heard Sir Gareth’s thunderous roar. To the remaining half of the masked group, Sir Gareth appeared even more terrifying than the black warhorse.

The fight ended anticlimactically.

Prince Frederick, who had only heard rumors of Sir Gareth’s prowess, watched in awe and fear as Gareth and the black warhorse subdued their enemies. It wasn’t the fear Saturn had intended, but it was fear nonetheless.

In less than ten minutes, Gareth had subdued the masked attackers with his bare hands. He then gently stroked the black warhorse.

“You were scared, weren’t you?”

Watching this, Gunther couldn’t help but chuckle.

“If those men lying there could hear you, they’d probably get up in disbelief. When you said Shadow could crush a man’s chest, I thought it was an exaggeration, but I heard something actually crack.”

While those who had been struck by Gareth survived, four men kicked by the horse had died.

Gareth spoke casually, “A horse’s hind kick is naturally dangerous. For a horse that kicks people, it’s often better to put it down.”

Looking at Shadow, he added, “But Shadow knows just the right amount of force to use.”

‘…In what world is that “just the right amount”?’

Frederick watched the masked attackers being carried away and asked, “Were they trying to attack me?”

“We’ll have to investigate to be sure,” Gareth replied. “But given the current situation, we should also consider other possibilities.”

Gareth’s gaze turned toward Titania, and Frederick followed it.

‘Could there be someone else?’

Gareth seemed to read Frederick’s unspoken question and replied with a knowing look.

“Ariel would never be so reckless as to kill a prince within their own territory, nor would Prince Robert. While we are under wartime protocols, we are not actively at war. If Prince Frederick were attacked, Prince Robert would undoubtedly be the first suspect. Considering Prince Robert’s current popularity, such a move would be incredibly foolish. Gareth would never engage in such stupidity either, especially not at the cost of sacrificing the black warhorse.”

Gunther frowned slightly.

‘Did he just imply that the horse is more valuable than the prince?’

As soon as Sir Gareth finished speaking, one thought struck Prince Frederick,

‘Cressida! Could they have orchestrated this attack on me to deflect suspicion from Prince Robert?’

Prince Frederick’s silent deliberation deepened his suspicions. Meanwhile, Gunther promptly sent an urgent report to the capital. The presence of armed assailants and the prince in the same location was a serious matter, regardless of the fact that Frederick was unharmed.

***

By the afternoon, Alex informed the two Saturnian envoys of the situation.

“I regret to inform you that the departure to Titania has been delayed. You will leave in five days.”

Sir Enceladus nodded in understanding, but Sir Dione’s face turned red with anger as he shouted at Alex.

“Are you detaining us? We are envoys of Saturn, carrying a personal letter from Emperor Uranus himself!”

Alex responded politely, “The circumstances leave us no choice. Around noon today, Prince Frederick was attacked by unidentified assailants. No one within Ariel’s territory is permitted to leave until the matter is resolved. Investigators, inspectors, and auditors from the capital will be arriving shortly. As in Saturn, an attack on royalty is considered an act of treason here, so the situation is extremely grave. We ask for your understanding.”

A shocked Sir Dione turned to Sir Enceladus, who nodded in agreement. Regardless of how the situation unfolded, it would be worth observing its progression.

After clearing his throat, Sir Dione asked, “Is Prince Frederick unharmed?”

“Yes, fortunately, he is safe. However, the attack was alarming enough that the prince is currently not receiving visitors.”

Sir Enceladus remarked, “The gods must have been watching over him. While we are eager to return to Saturn as soon as possible, it would be unreasonable to prioritize our needs over the gravity of this situation in Ariel and Uranus. We will prepare to depart in five days.”

Alex expressed his gratitude to the two envoys and withdrew.