Chapter 2.7

While Ragaen pondered what to say, Greta spoke hesitantly, lacking confidence.  

“To be honest, it’s been almost half a year since I graduated from the academy, and I haven’t done anything yet. My friends have already found their paths—whether it’s inheriting their family responsibilities, continuing their studies, or starting businesses. But I don’t have anything I particularly want to do. I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m still not sure.”  

When Greta finished her confession, an awkward silence filled the air. Embarrassed, she pretended to focus on her sandwich.  

Ragaen quietly observed Greta, who was nibbling on her sandwich like a squirrel, before finally speaking.  

“All I ever learned was how to use my body and wield a sword. I never thought I had any other options. More than that… I didn’t even know other options existed. This might be presumptuous of me, but… since you don’t need to worry about the immediate future and you’re still young, perhaps it’s okay to take some time to wander and experience different things.”  

He smiled faintly.  

In truth, this smile was born out of pride for successfully delivering practical advice to his fan, as the Crown Prince had taught him. But to Greta, it looked like the wise and noble smile of the most admirable and intelligent elder.  

“Do you think I could find something that makes me happy if I do that?”  

“I’m not sure. I’ve never…”  

Ragaen furrowed his brow.  

“I’ve never once thought I was happy in my life.”  

His voice was calm.  

“I don’t know.”  

At that moment, Greta felt a deep sorrow she had never experienced before. It was as if molten lava was bubbling up from the depths of her soul, bursting forth like an abscess, only to flow out weakly and painfully.  

Why had no one ever told her that hearing someone you love say they’re unhappy could be so painful? Why hadn’t anyone warned her that even a one-sided, unreciprocated love could hurt this much? Why hadn’t anyone explained that falling in love could add another layer of sorrow to her life?  

She felt like crying.  

But now wasn’t the time for tears.  

Determined, Greta spoke cheerfully.  

“Well, then it’s time to start figuring it out! What happiness is! Honestly, I don’t really know what true happiness is either. But as you said, Your Grace, we’re both still young. And we don’t have to worry about tomorrow just yet. So what’s wrong with wandering around a bit to figure out what happiness is?”  

Greta handed him another sandwich.  

“Here! Eat up. Happiness starts with a full stomach.”  

“…Thank you, Lady Lievo.”  

With a faint smile, Ragaen accepted the sandwich.  

He was quite satisfied, feeling that his advice had yielded good results. Plus, the prospect of eating more sandwiches was delightful. Perhaps Greta was right—happiness might indeed start with a full stomach.  

Although, even if he devoured the enormous portion allocated to him and stole all of Greta’s sandwiches too, he still wouldn’t feel full.  

***

After finishing their meal, they decided to move to the next hunting point.  

Thanks to Greta’s exceptional archery skills, they had already captured six Lorus at the first point. Typically, catching two or three at a single point was considered a lot, as Lorus were highly intelligent creatures.  

Not long after they began moving, Greta’s sharp eyes caught sight of a small but incredibly ornate pouch. Its luxurious design immediately revealed its value. Greta’s keen vision also spotted the golden eagle emblem of the Imperial Family. The golden eagle symbol could only be used on items belonging to the Imperial Family.  

“Your Grace, please wait a moment.”  

Greta dismounted her horse and picked up the pouch. As she had suspected, it seemed to undoubtedly belong to the Imperial Family.  

Ragaen approached Greta.  

“What is the matter, Lady Lievo?”  

“Could this possibly belong to His Highness, the Second Prince?”  

It was well known that the Second Prince was participating in this hunting competition. As the youngest child with an exceptionally adorable appearance, the Second Prince was beloved by the entire population of the Empire of Yegahen, earning him the title of the nation’s little brother. Unlike the Crown Prince, whose actions were closely tied to his future as a leader, every move of the Second Prince became a topic of conversation—usually under the category of “the adorable mishaps of the nation’s little brother.”  

“Hmm, should we open it to check if it belongs to His Highness?” 

Greta asked innocently.  

Of course, opening the pouch was the easiest way to confirm if it belonged to the Imperial Family. Clothes or pouches made by the Imperial Family bore special indelible engravings on their linings, making them impossible to counterfeit.  

However, as soon as Ragaen saw the pouch, he felt an ominous unease. He knew the true nature of the trouble-prone Second Prince. The Second Prince’s reputation as a “cute troublemaker” was only possible because many people around him—especially his father, the Emperor, and his elder brother, the Crown Prince—swiftly covered up incidents that could have turned into “horrific disasters.” It was never because the scale of his mishaps was small.  

After a moment of hesitation, Ragaen extended his hand to Greta.  

“Just in case, let me open it.”  

He carefully accepted the pouch and opened it, revealing a fine white powder. A familiar scent immediately wafted to his nose, and he quickly tightened the pouch shut.  

“D*mn it. We need to move, Lady Lievo.”  

His face twisted into a grim expression.  

“Quickly!”  

The pouch contained a powder with a distinctive scent. Having spent most of his life dealing with monsters, Ragaen recognized it instantly.  

It was Rexodia—a powder made from the specially processed Rexod flower, which was known to attract monsters. Mercenaries used it cautiously to hunt particularly wary monsters. During extermination missions, pouches like this one, filled with Rexodia, were used to lure a manageable number of monsters. When used appropriately, Rexodia posed no problem at all.  

The issue lay in the situation itself. Lorus, the creatures in this area, were not typically dangerous monsters. Using Rexodia in an area populated by such creatures was already reckless. But to think someone would bring such a large quantity of this powder to a hunting competition attended by the Emperor—it was sheer madness!  

The scent that escaped when the pouch was opened would not have gone unnoticed by the Lorus in the vicinity. This pouch might even explain why so many Lorus had been spotted in this area.  

They needed to act quickly. A swarm of Lorus would soon descend upon them.  

***

“Where exactly did you drop it?”  

“I-I don’t know….”  

“Do you even understand how dangerous that item is?! You should have kept it safe!”  

“I’m sorry… sniff….”  

Instead of hunting, two figures were wandering aimlessly through the forest, looking around frantically. They were the Second Prince, Asiel, and his close friend and hunting partner, Roben, the second son of Count Karol.  

“If this goes wrong, I’ll have disappointed my brother, my father, the citizens, and then the country will collapse… society will collapse….”  

“Stop digging yourself into a hole and look for it quickly! If someone opens that pouch, it’ll be a disaster! While you might only disappoint the Crown Prince and His Majesty, I might actually lose my head, Your Highness! Oh, my miserable life!”

Although Asiel had caused many accidents in the past, they had mostly been limited to incidents like damaging cultural artifacts or slightly defacing national treasures. The most dangerous accident so far had been during last spring’s hunting competition, when he had tried to hunt a sleeping bear, almost resulting in someone being eaten. Fortunately, Asiel’s mishaps always managed to be dismissed as “the adorable mistakes of the nation’s little brother.”  

‘If someone opens that pouch, it’ll truly be a catastrophe.’  

Rexodia was a strictly controlled substance. Asiel had pestered endlessly to acquire it through backdoor means. If anyone were harmed because of it, not even the Emperor or Crown Prince would be able to cover for him this time.  

Despite his expressionless face, Roben was growing increasingly anxious.  

“Sniff, what do I do…?”

Just as Asiel was on the verge of tears, they heard the sound of galloping hooves. Two figures appeared nearby—it was the Duke of Adantie and his partner, Lady Lievo.  

“Whoa, Devin.”  

The Duke’s massive black horse reared up, its front hooves pawing the air before landing back on the ground with a resounding thud.  

“Your Highness?”  

“Uh, uh, Duke? What are you doing here?”  

“Your Highness, the Duke of Adantie is also participating in the competition.”  

“Oh, right, I forgot.”  

“Your Highness, this is no time for idle chatter. Right now….”  

“Oh! Duke! That pouch!”  

Asiel’s eyes widened as he spotted the pouch in Ragaen’s hand. It was the very pouch he had been searching for.  

“That’s mine! I’ve been looking for it—thank you!”  

“Your Highness, I just opened this pouch containing Rexodia. If we don’t evacuate immediately, a swarm of Lorus will descend upon us.”  

“What?”  

“What did you just say?”  

“Get on your horses immediately!”  

Ragaen barked the order, but Asiel froze, his mind going blank. To be precise, he was incapable of forming any productive thoughts.  

“In the end… my father… my brother… I’ve disappointed them… the country will collapse….”  

Asiel burst into tears. His behavior was so childish that it was hard to believe he was an adult. Ragaen sighed, Roben skillfully calmed him down and helped him onto his horse, and Greta was struck by the realization that even such foolish behavior could look adorable when performed by someone with such a dazzlingly beautiful face. If Richard had acted like that, Greta would have scratched his face immediately.  

Thanks to Roben’s efforts, Asiel finally mounted his horse. Only then could they begin their escape. However, the brief delay had given the Lorus swarm enough time to pick up the scent.