Arad’s current position was ambiguous.

He was by no means of low status. Although his ennoblement ceremony had yet to be held, he was already being treated as a noble.

In fact, his merits might elevate his rank beyond the promised Honorary Baron. Perhaps he would receive a hereditary title rather than a non-heritable one, or even an estate or a manor.

“This kind of parachute deployment is unprecedented,” he thought wryly.

However, if that parachute belonged to a soldier from an elite airborne unit, covered in medals from countless special operations and battles, the perception might be quite different.

For example, Arad had been able to attend this meeting without anyone raising objections.

“But why, of all places, am I seated right next to the Grand Duchess?”

The issue lay in Arad’s current seat—directly to the left of Arina Rune Renslet.

“Does this mean they acknowledge my value to that extent?”

It could be seen as the position of a chief of staff.

“Or is it because of that joke I made about becoming her national treasure?”

Alternatively, it could be interpreted as the seat of a spouse.

“Wait, does she actually remember that?!”

As this unsettling thought crossed his mind, a chill ran down his spine.

If he were to say now, “Oh, that was just a joke to wake you up,” he had a feeling his head would end up on a pike.

"Ohohoho, you two look wonderful together," came a sudden, soft murmur.

Sitting to Arina’s right, Isabelle smiled warmly, speaking just loud enough for those near her to hear.

"……!"

At the same time, the tips of Arina’s ears turned faintly red.

Clearly, she had heard Isabelle’s comment.

“Am I really her prospective national treasure now?”

Growing increasingly certain, Arad felt sweat trickling down his back.

“I… I need to get back to Earth!”

He was at a loss. Truly at a loss.

At this moment, Arad felt an intense urge to smack his past self for that shameless flirtation meant to wake the Grand Duchess.

“No matter how appealing this other world might seem, it doesn’t compare to Earth!”

Sure, a medieval fantasy world free from fine dust and pollution was charming—as long as you were viewing it from a monitor or visiting for a month or two. Living without modern infrastructure for a lifetime, however, was a different story.

“More importantly! On Earth, I have Jin Industries, my 20s poured into a fledgling company just beginning to take flight!”

What to do?

Ding ding ding ding!

Emergency alarms blared in Arad’s mind as he brainstormed various scenarios.

“Slowly. Gradually, I need to create some distance. Thankfully, the Grand Duchess once told me to think of another wish. She can’t have forgotten that, right?”

As he sat in mounting discomfort, the meeting continued.

"The events in the Abyss were undoubtedly the Empire’s doing. The spoils taken from their corpses alone are overwhelming evidence."

"Unlike the death of the late Grand Duke, this time we have irrefutable proof!"

"……?"

Arad’s attention, which had been wandering, was abruptly captured by the topic being discussed.

What had started as a purge discussion had shifted to countermeasures against the Empire’s provocations.

"We and the Empire have crossed the Rubicon," a knight declared.

"Indeed! The Empire has gone too far this time."

"We have justification on our side!"

"Their offenses must be repaid!"

As expected, the senior knights in the meeting room roared as though ready to march on the Empire at any moment.

"Your Grace! War! It’s time for war!"

"The knights and soldiers of High Castle are prepared!"

Although this topic had been raised several times before, now that the Grand Duchess had awakened, it was time for serious discussion. After all, the final decision rested with her.

"We can’t! If we go to war with the Empire now, the North will be destroyed!"

"First, we must send envoys to demand an explanation and hear the Empire’s excuses!"

On the other hand, the bureaucrats were firmly opposed, desperate to avoid an all-out war.

"Such cowardly talk! The Empire has essentially declared war on the North!"

"Send envoys? They’ll just cut their losses and pin the blame on a scapegoat, like always!"

"Knights, regain your reason! The North is in no condition to wage a full-scale war against the Empire!"

"We share your outrage at the Empire’s atrocities! But now is not the time. We must strengthen ourselves and wait for the right moment!"

The room was split.

The Northern bureaucrats, led by Chancellor Haitai, clashed verbally with the high-ranking knights, each side raising their voices.

"Traitors to the North, all of you!" shouted a knight.

"Ha! And you plan to ruin the North with your recklessness?!" retorted a bureaucrat.

"Say that again!"

"Do you think war is some child’s play? Our ancestors invaded the Empire under far worse conditions!"

"Enough! If you’re going to plan a military campaign, wait until the expeditionary force returns!"

"When will the expedition even return?! Who knows when General Sun and his forces will be back!"

The knights’ bloodlust filled the room, met by the bureaucrats’ unyielding resolve.

"You think your killing intent will make us back down?!"

The bureaucrats, though civil servants, stood tall against the suffocating pressure of the knights—a testament to their Northern grit.

"Enough."

The clash came to an abrupt halt at Arina’s single word.

She steered the meeting in a different direction.

"Sir Arad."

"Yes?"

She turned her gaze toward him.

"What is your opinion?"

"Me?"

In an instant, everyone’s eyes were on him.

"Uh…."

“Why is she doing this to me all of a sudden?!”

Though flustered, Arad quickly collected himself. Showing weakness now would undermine the competent image he had worked so hard to establish.

"……The North’s spirit is to repay kindness twofold and enmity tenfold. But if we confront the Empire now, we won’t even be able to return the blow we received," he began after a moment of thought.

"I’m not saying we should forgive the Empire. But fighting them now would be madness."

"Interesting…"

The bureaucrats looked at him with approving expressions.

"Hmm…."

The knights, on the other hand, weren’t pleased. However, given Arad’s role in saving the Grand Duchess and his contributions in the Abyss, they didn’t unleash their hostility.

"Moreover, Her Grace hasn’t fully recovered yet," Arad added.

"What? I’m fully healed," Arina interjected.

"Your skills haven’t been fully restored, have they?"

"…Hmm…"

"And even though you’re feeling better now, latent aftereffects might surface later."

This statement was the clincher.

"We must prioritize Your Grace’s health and stability above all else."

The dissatisfaction in the knights’ eyes quickly shifted to avoidance as they averted their gazes and stared off into the distance.

"Until Your Grace has fully recovered your health and martial prowess, we should focus on strengthening our internal affairs. Starting with Arad’s Salt, we can produce various goods to draw wealth from the Empire and the entire continent. After all, wars are fought with money and supplies."

Arad continued, "In my personal opinion, we should issue a strong protest to the Empire regarding this incident and demand economic reparations."

"Do you really think the Empire would even bat an eye at our protests?"

A senior knight spoke up with a scoff, clearly displeased.

Recognizing the need to ease the tension with the knights, Arad responded tactfully.

"The Empire has plenty of enemies. It would be a significant burden for them to engage in a full-scale war with us. In other words, we’re free to take every action short of outright war."

A message to the knights: Don’t worry, the Empire won’t risk war with us, so don’t be afraid to push back.

"I’ve also heard that thanks to the trade involving Arad’s Salt, the Empire has managed to offset its trade deficits recently. They’re in no position to mess with us further."

"But the North still relies heavily on the Empire for food, beyond just spices."

"If they attempt to use food as leverage, all we need to do is hint that the starving Northerners might surge into the Empire’s heartlands. That alone would be enough to make them pay for peace."

Oh?

That point seemed to shift the atmosphere. The knights’ expressions visibly softened for the first time.

"Yes, yes, that’s right!"

Across the room, the bureaucrats nodded fervently, showing their agreement.

"Arad’s words make a lot of sense," Arina added, nodding her head.

Wait a minute.

As Arad continued speaking, he noticed something odd.

Wouldn’t these people, especially the bureaucrats, have already thought of this?

It wasn’t as if his reasoning was revolutionary. Everyone here, including Arina, must have considered this strategy already.

She’s using me as a neutral voice to sway the knights without provoking them. Arina planned this.

Arina likely needed a way to persuade the knights without offending their pride. Using him as the messenger fit perfectly.

Arad decided to leave it at that.

The first formal council meeting held since the Grand Duchess’s awakening had come to an end.

"Thank you. Because of you, we managed to calm those bull-headed knights."

As the meeting concluded, a middle-aged man approached Arad and extended his hand for a handshake.

It was Haitai, the chief administrator of the North, holding a position equivalent to a chancellor.

"No need to thank me. The knights likely understood they needed to restrain themselves but were just frustrated with the situation."

"I get that too. It’s not as if I can’t sympathize with them—I was born and raised in the North, after all."

"But their behavior was excessive. I never expected them to release such killing intent in the presence of Her Grace. And for Her Grace to tolerate it… that surprised me."

"The knights suspect the late Grand Duke Baikal’s death was linked to the Empire. That’s why Her Grace is willing to overlook their extreme reactions as an expression of loyalty."

"…Is that so?"

Arad widened his eyes at this new information.

The late Grand Duke Baikal Rune Renslet, Arina’s father and the previous ruler of the Northern Duchy, was officially reported to have died in battle against the extreme northern orcs.

But to think the Empire was suspected to have been behind it.

"For the record, even we bureaucrats share no differing opinion with the knights on this matter."

Even the typically rational and composed Northern officials agreed with the knights on this.

"Are you saying the Empire colluded with the extreme northern orcs, like they did with the warlocks of the Abyss?"

"They’re unlikely to have formed an alliance. Those orcs aren’t the negotiating type. But the Empire may have used them. After all, the orcs’ equipment has noticeably improved in recent years."

If true, the Empire’s actions resembled the covert operations of agencies like the CIA on Earth.

“People are the same everywhere,” Arad mused.

While there was no definitive proof, the circumstantial evidence surrounding the Grand Duke’s death was clear. And this time, there was undeniable evidence tying the Empire’s Sigma unit to their machinations.

It was no wonder the knights were on edge—and not just the knights, but all of the North.

Even Haitai, the most level-headed and composed administrator in the North, was clenching his fists tightly, his knuckles trembling with suppressed rage.

Seeing this, Arad could feel the source of the North’s resilience and defiance over the past century.

"Ahem! This old man has rambled on enough," Haitai said.

"Not at all. Your words have been enlightening," Arad replied politely.

"In any case, you should find a way to lighten Her Grace’s mood. I’m not sure why, but she’s still acting a bit stiff toward you, isn’t she?"

"Excuse me? Oh… yes, you might be right."

With that, Haitai left the council chamber.

Looking around, Arad realized that everyone else had also quietly left.

The knights, witches, and bureaucrats had all departed, as if on cue.

The only ones left in the room were Arad and Arina.

“Oh no.”

Seeing her face in this quiet, isolated setting, Arad felt his resolve to return to Earth begin to waver.

Even slightly sulking, she was breathtakingly beautiful—enough to make his heart race uncontrollably.