“This time, Robert will also attend the family head meeting.”
“Understood.”
Since I already knew this, I nodded without surprise.
There was no need to act foolishly in front of my father.
As it was before, I had to be cautious in my behavior since I needed to secure the position of the family head.
There were many possibilities that pleased my heart.
There were things that only I knew, things overflowing.
However, what concerned me was Yuria’s change.
The last time I saw her, her hair seemed to be quite long.
Now it had become short enough to be called a bob cut.
The trembling gaze that used to look at me had also vanished, and when I briefly met Yuria’s eyes, she raised her head with an expressionless face.
I thought she had wavered for a moment, but perhaps it was my misunderstanding after all.
That was preferable.
Since I hadn’t attempted anything yet, I hoped Yuria’s feelings would remain steadfast.
Now that I think about it, I feel like I could understand Teresa’s feelings.
Watching Icarus fall when he thought he had reached the highest point… would probably be quite a fun pastime.
My father’s gaze turned to me and then back to Yuria.
This family head meeting was quite important compared to previous ones.
It was about the Empire’s longstanding plan for the southern campaign.
The South had long been a territory mingled with non-human races and barbarians.
Occupying it was one thing, but not developing it could be due to that reason.
A land filled with grass and forests, strange plants, and people.
Speaking of which, the children Adrian was taking care of last time were also connected to the South.
Children who escaped from becoming sacrifices, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that the connection between this family head meeting and the saint was quite significant.
Yet the reason I hadn’t met her until now would certainly be because I had heard news directly through the princess.
“Robert, is this your first time attending the family head meeting?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I won’t make mistakes.”
“There’s nothing to mistake. You won’t have many opportunities to speak there. Just make sure you know the faces so you don’t embarrass yourself. All those attending the meeting are leading figures of the Empire; it won’t do you harm to recognize them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
As I inclined my head, my father issued a decree of understanding.
After all, he had come simply to hear that I would attend the family head meeting.
Checking on Yuria’s condition was just part of that process.
As I stepped out of the room, I felt Yuria’s gaze land on me.
That gaze didn’t waver at all, remaining steadfast and cold.
I could tell for sure that Yuria’s mindset had changed.
However, that was all.
Even if her resolve had changed and her cold blood had grown colder, turning into ice,
She was a woman I would eventually break.
“Then, I will take my leave first.”
In the future I would draw anew, there was no place for Yuria Taylor. That much was certain.
#
The place where the family head meeting was held was the Imperial Capital.
While it was just crossing over a border from the ducal residence to get there, the difference was quite significant.
No matter how much it was the Duke’s territory, it couldn’t compare to the Emperor’s majesty,
Even crossing a single threshold, the visible scenery changed dramatically.
The golden gates, the sun’s gate adorned with ivory and jewels, led to the moon’s gate.
This time, beyond the platinum-decorated gate, the portal into the capital began to appear.
It was the final gate of the capital, Eclipse, which was made entirely of pure black.
Only by entering there could one see the capital of Eden, and the coachman let out a small exclamation at the instantly transformed scenery.
The coachman gasped softly at what he saw.
The vibrancy of the capital was incomparable to any other city.
No matter how much it was called the City of Light, it could not be compared to the vitality radiating from this place.
The Moon Tower I had seen last time was also located here.
The place where the Saint resides; it was not just a mere feeling that a strange sense brushed past me.
If my intuition is not wrong… we will surely meet during this meeting.
Whether it is by my own accord or someone else’s.
But the primary goal is to meet Her Highness the Princess, so it would be best to temporarily set aside thoughts about the Saint.
After riding in the carriage for a while, we finally arrived at the location of the Head of the Family meeting.
On the outside, it appeared like a forest, but only those with proven status could enter the garden.
Vines that seemed alive wriggled, and soon stopped the horse from moving forward.
Then suddenly, a knight appeared from somewhere and began verifying our identities.
The knight, whose face was completely covered by armor, looked at the emblem on the carriage and asked my father.
“Have you come from Taylor?”
“That’s correct. Can you open the gate for us?”
“…Confirmed. May peace be upon you.”
Everything that appears in this garden changes every year.
This year, that knight always appeared, but next year, a ragged barbarian would show up, and the following year, an archer would appear.
This garden has existed alongside the Empire since its inception, after all.
Thus, the beings that appear here are each bound to spirits in their own right.
So, it is only natural that my father shows respect.
Outside the Emperor, there were none who could stand equal to these beings.
As I stepped down from the carriage, I felt a different texture underfoot than regular grass.
It was a sensation as soft and cozy as stepping on a cloud.
When droplets of water floating in the air touched my body, they burst with a pop.
Yuria gazed at the scene with a blank expression, then turned to my father and spoke.
“Shall I infuse it with magic?”
“No, this year, there’s no need. It will soon manifest on its own.”
With those words, movement began in another direction of the garden.
The trees, grass, and flowers slowly shifted their roots as if opening a door, revealing the forest.
Since it was literally opening up, the nobles standing at the opposite end looked greatly surprised at the sudden appearance of each other.
In the midst of this, only we remained composed, and my father cast a disdainful glance at the other nobles.
Among this multitude of nobles, Duke Taylor was the only one.
Thus, although it was called a Head of the Family meeting, Duke Taylor took on the role of chair.
However, this time, my father was not the chair.
For today’s meeting included the Imperial Family.
“Her Highness the Princess is coming out!”
At the knights’ shouts, our gazes naturally shifted to the empty space.
At the end stood a woman, yet the nobles who saw her all knelt and bowed their heads.
It was only natural.
The woman, with black hair fluttering like only royal blood could possess and eyes resembling the moon, was undoubtedly the most exalted person in this place.
“Thank you all for gathering. I understand you are all busy with affairs, but the topic of this Head of the Family meeting is quite important, and I wanted to participate as well.”
As the Princess spoke, a calmness suddenly enveloped the garden.
It was a familiar voice.
I had heard it dozens of times, and hadn’t I even listened to her whisper that she loved me?
Miragen de Artein. The woman with that name spoke again.
“Then let’s begin. It’s a meeting about how we should treat the south.”
As the Princess raised her arm, radiant light burst forth above the garden.
A brilliant light surged up.
You could call it the signal flare announcing the Empire’s meeting.
However, my nerves were focused on something other than that light. It was about how to approach the princess.
There were ways to sneak in like before, but it seemed quite difficult this time.
‘…It feels like she’s been staring at me for a while now.’
Yuria was definitely preoccupied with me.
I didn’t know why she was looking at me like that, but it was clear that she was interested in me.
That said, it wasn’t like I had no way to escape.
I knew how this garden operated well enough, so slipping out during the meeting should be easy.
The princess did host the meeting, but it was the delegates who came with her that took the lead.
They would use her name to gain speaking rights, and she merely had to report the conclusions back to the emperor, and that would be the end of her role.
She often vanished in the middle of meetings to wander around the surroundings.
As I briefly locked eyes with Yuria, I couldn’t help but chuckle at her averted gaze.
What on earth was she thinking? But that wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
What Yuria wanted was likely for me to interpret her true intentions, so it wasn’t necessary for me to fit into such a role.
“My stance on the South has always been the same. Besides extermination, isn’t there any clear plan?”
“I think so too. After all, don’t we have to deal with the barbarians and non-human races? We should take this opportunity to get rid of what we can and develop a great forest to accommodate the non-human races.”
“Are we accommodating the barbarians too?”
“No, they must be annihilated. They aren’t exactly a group that upholds the sun. Speaking of sorcery, didn’t the saintess rescue some children the last time?”
The discussion about the treatment of the South, initiated by my father’s words, was heading towards extermination as I had expected.
The extermination of the South was a confirmed matter. It was just that it would eventually hit a snag.
The sorcerers living in the South were no simple foes.
They wielded magic focused on destruction, even more lethal than the average magician.
If we didn’t strike decisively, we wouldn’t achieve any meaningful extermination.
Of course, I had no right to voice such thoughts here.
Rather, I would likely be scolded for stepping out of line.
So, I quietly observed the ongoing discussion.
As the heat of the meeting intensified, some nobles and delegates from the imperial palace began to raise their voices.
“Hey, doesn’t that just mean sacrificing the noble’s private army?”
“I thought the palace was dispatching magicians; that should be sufficient.”
“Magicians primarily provide support from the rear. Isn’t this an attempt to undermine the nobles’ authority?”
“What utter nonsense!”
It was always a pathetic argument, but there was no better opportunity to hide in this meeting room.
Coincidentally, Yuria was passionately representing the noble’s standpoint, so I casually glanced around and drew in my magic.
The mystical beings in the garden reacted to the magic held by the ‘privileged ones.’
The magic I observed when the carriage entered was my father’s, so if I could adapt it, I could manipulate the garden as I pleased.
Slowly, the vine imbued with magic began to cloak my body.
To anyone watching, it would appear as if I was being swallowed by the tree.
However, there was a place I could only reach by hiding my body.
Probably the back side of this mystical garden, where the princess was wandering around earnestly.
Coincidentally, there was a paved path, so I walked along that path while keeping an eye on my surroundings.
I was already prepared for what to say if I encountered anyone.
If I casually used magic and happened to end up here by pure coincidence, I would be fine.
“I just have to say that.”
It was thanks to Arwen’s help that I was able to interpret this mysterious garden.
So at this point, it’s impossible for anyone other than me to freely use the garden.
‘Arwen’s reply should come soon.’
Then, contact with the Crown Prince had to happen before that.
I knew the story that would entice the Crown Prince, so once I met with the Princess and exchanged a few words, it would naturally lead to a meeting.
So now I just have to find the Princess.
Suddenly, a butterfly roaming around the garden caught my eye.
With its elegant pure white against the green-filled garden, I was momentarily captivated.
Every time it fluttered through the air, golden lines danced around it.
In that moment, I realized something; that butterfly didn’t belong here.
“Divine power…?”
No living creature could exist within here.
The knight I saw earlier, and even this tree, were ultimately created by spirits.
However, that butterfly was moving of its own will.
As I gazed at the light encompassing the air, I shot magic power towards the butterfly.
With a snap, the butterfly stumbled momentarily, colliding with my magic.
Then, the errant butterfly began to circle around me.
As if trying to figure out my identity, I blankly murmured the thought that popped into my head.
“Adrian… couldn’t be, could he?”
At that, the butterfly’s movement halted, and its body slowly dispersed.
From something with form, it transformed into light, which finally morphed into a concentrated divine power and whispered to me.
Literally, a familiar voice resonated in my ear.
“Are you Lord Taylor, perhaps?”
It was a voice I recognized well. How could I not?
With its calm and gentle tone, I couldn’t help but recognize it the moment I heard it.
However, it was quite unexpected to hear it in this place.
Quickly regaining my composure, I spoke to the light hovering in the air.
“Is it the Saintess? I hadn’t heard you would be participating in the meeting.”
“In fact, I was looking for Miragen. I thought she might be nearby.”
“I see. I was also searching for Her Highness the Princess.”
When I asked if she knew where the Princess was, Adrian instead expressed her excitement, saying it was great.
“Oh, is that so? Then I will convey that to Miragen, so could you come to the Moon Tower in a little while?”
“Is it alright for me to enter the Moon Tower?”
“If I say you may enter, that should be fine. And I have something to discuss with you regarding the South as well.”
I nodded to her slightly serious tone.
The topic about the South was quite sensitive for Adrian.
It seemed we’d either discuss it privately or in the presence of the Princess.
That was rather good. I had many opportunities to talk with Her Highness.
Turning my head, I spotted a large tower visible beyond the garden.
The tower was clearly closer than the one I had seen during the Full Moon Festival.
Getting there wasn’t a problem, but still, wasn’t this a bit sudden? However, I couldn’t refuse.
I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet both the Saintess and the Princess at the same time.
Having considered various possibilities, I ended up meeting the Saintess again.
Given this, I might as well adjust my thoughts a little.
After all, it seemed evident that there was a connection between Saint Adriana and me.
At least for this life.
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