"Are you out of your mind!? Asking Her Majesty for the whereabouts of the neodymium? Isn’t that the same as declaring you’ll study dark magic openly?!"
"That’s right. It’s for academic purposes. So, Her Majesty is likely to share it willingly."
"Is that really 'willingly'? She looked at you like she suspected you of something. If you fall out of Her Majesty's favor, it’s over…!"

As soon as we left the palace, Sylvia fidgeted and chattered incessantly.
Could it be because of the strong energy shared only among the powerful in the emperor's office that Aslan didn't feel?
Sylvia was in a state of near panic, overwhelmed with fear.

"Do you think I’m being reckless?"
"Yes, head of the family."
"Don’t worry. I’m more timid than you think and too much of a coward to even dream of taking risks. Vermont won’t fall out of Her Majesty's favor."
"…"

Aslan chuckled, giving Sylvia a light pat on the shoulder.
So, the guy who claims he won’t be reckless is jumping into a monster horde without any guarantees of safety?
Though I wanted to shoot back at her, Sylvia bit her lip and remained silent.

Liar.
Does she think I’m a fool, telling lies all the time?

'Isn't that a bit hypocritical?'

Suddenly, Sylvia shuddered.
She recalled the time they were nearly buried in the collapsing ant mound.
She had mentioned that the smaller the barrier they could form, the more compact it would become, so they had to stay closer together.

That, that time…
The tighter the formation, the sturdier it was, so I can’t say it was a complete lie…
Perhaps a white lie…
In any case, I had no regrets.

"The academic presentation at the Imperial Academy of Magic is coming up soon. If I want to present my research results there, I have to try anything."
"Ah..."

Time was tight.
Usually, organizing years' worth of research for a presentation takes several months.
Currently, Vermont wasn’t even in a position to present anything.

If Vermont was still treated as a backward rural town, it wouldn’t matter to give a terrible presentation and embarrass ourselves,
but now things were quite different.
If Vermont’s image took a significant hit, it would inevitably affect tourism revenue and the promotion of Vermont Security.

Looking at the bigger picture, it would impact Jacob’s business too.
It might also become an obstacle for Yulia and Charlotte, who had just begun to rise as necromancers and dark knights.
Vermont was no longer just mine alone.
This academic presentation had to be a success.

Sylvia was left speechless by the resolute look in Aslan’s eyes.

"Even if we present our research on dark magic, it seems we’ll only get beaten up..."
"That kind of thinking is genuinely dangerous. If you simply ignore something because it’s scary and dangerous, it won’t do you any good. To confront an enemy, you need to know them well, right? If dark magic is truly dangerous, then it should be studied even more."
"Ah..."

So, Her Majesty was also tacitly allowing the research for that reason.
Realizing this, Sylvia clapped her hands with a refreshed expression.

So, Vermont is essentially being tapped as a research contractor for the royal family?
If the royal family directly supports the research on dark magic, it could backfire on them if they get caught.
By indirectly supporting Vermont’s research, which they could cut ties with if necessary, they’re being careful.

'Huh? So in the worst-case scenario, does that mean we could be cut off from the royal family…!?'

Chills ran down Sylvia's spine.
Although the emperor seems indifferent and bored with everything, she’s quite calculative.
No wonder I felt a bit off.

"The mission is to escort the duke’s youngest daughter to the regime. I don’t know what dangers we may face along the way, but since it’s an escort mission, I think it’s better to go with a small, elite group."
"I agree. In a mission where we must prioritize the safety of the escort target, it’s certainly not easy to move while worrying about stragglers."
"That’s why I plan to take you, Charlotte, and Yulia, as per Her Majesty’s request, along with one of the top performers. That makes five of us."
"Why five? That’s Charlotte, Yulia, me, and one more, which makes four."
"Am I not going too?"
"What? You don’t need to lead by example in a place like this, head of the family. There’s no need to risk your life by accompanying us..."
"Am I crazy? I’m going because Charlotte and Yulia are going. If it was just you and the staff, I would’ve rested comfortably at the mansion."
"Ah. Yes."

For a moment, Sylvia felt a tinge of emotion but quickly cooled off.
Of course, Aslan wouldn’t rest easy at the mansion if he sent the kids on a dangerous escort mission.
He would be worried sick, unable to concentrate on anything, becoming more and more fatigued, and ultimately, he would end up suffering from stress.
That was a given.

"And it's an opportunity to establish a connection with the northern duke. It would be a shame to miss out on it."
"That’s certainly true."
"Have you been talking nonsense up to this point?"
"…I didn’t mean it that way."

Ah, so there was a proper reason after all.
Relieved, Sylvia sighed in relief.
So, this guy isn’t completely obsessed with just the kids after all.

"First, let’s meet this top performer. I need to conduct a personal interview. Since it’s a short journey and I’ll be accompanying you, I still need to confirm whether they’re someone who can safely act with the kids or if they could cause trouble."

If anyone would cause trouble, it would probably be the head of the family.
I swallowed those words and replied.

"We might not even need an interview."
"What do you mean?"
"It’s someone you already know well. It’s Yuri. Ah, in Vermont Security, it would be Yulia."
"…"

Aslan's expression froze.
Wait a minute. That guy?
No way!

"How is that possible? Yuri skipped this week’s training entirely because he was taking exams."
"Yuri can only attend training every two weeks because he’s busy with academics, but he scores overwhelmingly each time. His swordsmanship and martial arts are already at a level close to Sword Expert, and he’s the only one who has learned all the basic spell magic."
"So, he’s someone who could adapt easily to practical duties without any issues…?"
"Yes. That’s right."

Sylvia answered confidently, and Aslan leaned back, overwhelmed by a sudden headache.
Ah, I’m going to lose it.

I set conditions that forced him to concentrate on studying, and yet this crazy guy is doing well in academics while still messing around.
What kind of ridiculous overpowered character has both literary and martial skills?
Aslan pinched his forehead and clicked his tongue.

"Ugh..."
"Are you excluding Yuri from the mission? The scores aren’t publicly available to the staff, so it would be easy to manipulate them."
"No. Just take him along. Continue with the plan."
"…?"

I thought for sure he’d say to exclude him.
Sylvia’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

"Weren’t you trying to prevent Yuri from meeting the kids?"
"That’s just a temporary measure. You can’t keep them apart forever. Eventually, they’re going to meet, and if that’s too late… they’ll all blame me severely."
"…."
"I was waiting for the right timing, and it seems that now is that moment. Besides, I’d be uneasy leaving Yuri here. It wouldn’t be surprising to return to find the mansion burned to the ground."
"Ah."

That’s certainly true.
Yuri seems emotionally unstable…
Muttering nonsensical words full of hatred every day,
It was shocking every time I saw him.

It felt like a deadly aura was radiating from him.
As if he had been kidnapped by an evil villain and was gaining power for revenge against them.

Leaving such a volatile person in the territory of Vermont is out of the question.
With both of us absent, if he went on a rampage, it would be nearly impossible to stop him.
Bringing him along and keeping him under control is the best course of action.

Sylvia nodded in agreement with Aslan's decision.

'Though he seems frivolous and focused only on evil plots, he’s surprisingly deep.'

Yeah. The head of the family is someone like this.
He may seem to make absurd decisions, but he only makes rational choices.
Have I been too suspicious?
Sylvia chuckled and followed Aslan closely.

Meanwhile, Aslan thought,

'I hope I can get permission from Yuri for Charlotte and Yulia's engagement during this opportunity. Is that too much to ask? If I rush, I might ruin things. Stay calm. First, make a good impression. Getting permission for the engagement can come later...'

His mind was filled with thoughts of resolving misunderstandings with Yuri and improving their relationship.