The imperial palace at the heart of the Ragoit Empire was shrouded in a chilling silence.

“You initially claimed that the weeds, the key ingredient in Arad Salt, could be significantly reduced in the North,” Crown Prince Kanbraman's voice pierced the silence.

“And, as a bonus, you assured me you would devastate the northern farmlands and destroy the morale of its people.”

He continued, his tone growing colder.

“But what are the results now?”

Despite the Crown Prince’s pointed interrogation, the atmosphere remained heavy with an oppressive silence.

“Do you have any idea how much gold was spent on this venture?”

In truth, the expenditure of gold was relatively minimal considering the scale of the operation.

However, neither Chancellor Karaso nor Astra, the head of Sigma, dared to voice this.

“Not to mention, even Grand Mage Yulkanes had to pause his research to lend his assistance.”

Indeed, the largest resource invested by the Empire in this operation was arguably the labor of Yulkanes himself.

But again, neither Karaso nor Astra dared to bring it up.

“And that’s not all. Astra, as head of Sigma, why don’t you speak?”

“Y-Yes…?”

“You even donned that ridiculous mask and personally traveled to the North, didn’t you?”

“...Yes, Your Highness.”

Sweat dripped from Astra’s face, and his legs began to tremble as his name was called out directly.

“With virtually all of the Empire’s core resources committed to this, how is it possible that the situation has worsened compared to before we began?”

As expected, the Crown Prince’s frosty gaze had now fixed squarely on Astra.

“T-That is… it was entirely due to an unexpected development called Mary’s Blessing…”

“Mary’s Blessing? How could such fertilizer be created overnight? And with nothing but prayer, at that?”

“I-It’s undoubtedly a fraud! It cannot be a result of prayer!” Astra shouted in desperation.

“A fraud, you say? Are you certain?”

“Yes, Your Highness. The fertilizer we managed to acquire showed no traces of divine power.”

“Then why?! How can crops grow abundantly in soil that’s completely lost its fertility?!”

“…”

“And what about the Renslet Church?! How has a unified religion, something that should never exist in the North, suddenly emerged?!”

Finally, the inevitable happened. The Crown Prince’s pent-up frustration and anger erupted all at once, like a volcano.

“Hah… I am… starting… to have doubts.”

After his furious outburst, the Crown Prince’s voice returned to a chilling calm that blanketed the throne room.

“I have my doubts.”

With those words, he gestured with his hand.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

At his command, palace guards and royal knights stepped forward and grabbed the trembling Astra, dragging him away.

“Y-Your Highness! This is unjust! Unjust! I did my best!”

Astra’s desperate pleas echoed briefly before fading into silence.

“The position of Sigma’s head will temporarily be assumed by Count Ricard, the palace steward.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

When Ricard, who had escorted Astra out, returned to the throne room, Kanbraman issued a brief order.

“And leave Astra’s family untouched, for now.”

“Thank you for your boundless mercy, Your Highness.”

Kanbraman was well aware that Astra was not truly to blame for the failure.

However, in politics, scapegoats and displays of authority were sometimes necessary.

Astra’s purge would send two distinct messages: one to the Empire’s internal factions, and another to its external adversaries.

Internally, it served as a cautionary tale. Externally, it was a way to cut ties and deflect attention from the North, anticipating any possible Northern envoy demanding an explanation.

‘How did the Empire fall to the point where we’re watching our every step? If my bedridden father saw this, he’d strike me across the face.’

To Kanbraman, the absurdity of the situation felt like a dream.

An empire hundreds—no, thousands—of times greater in population, territory, economy, technology, and magic…

And yet it was reduced to tiptoeing around a single remote Grand Duchy.

Of course, any outside observer would shake their head and say this was karma.

The meeting in the throne room resumed shortly after, as if nothing had happened.

“So, is it him again? Arad?”

“That seems likely, Your Highness.”

The topic of discussion was, as expected, Arad Jin.

A mysterious genius who had appeared in the North like a comet.

A man who had risen from a commoner to a count in the blink of an eye.

And most troubling of all, a man whose origins and limits were completely unknown.

“Who exactly is he? Could he truly be some secret weapon crafted by Renslet?”

“I don’t believe he is a secret weapon of Renslet,” Ricard replied, now officially head of Sigma.

“Then what?”

“My assumption is that he is a low-ranking adventurer who stumbled upon a new golden-age dungeon.”

“Hmm… In that case, could we recruit him?”

“With all due respect, Your Highness, it is currently impossible to even approach him. All the Northern nobles who colluded with us have been purged. Not only High Castle but every single espionage network we had in the North has been destroyed.”

“Don’t we still have Imperial merchants and adventurers traveling in the North? And what about Sigma agents in disguise?”

“Following recent events, none of them can operate freely. No Imperial citizen can currently move about within the North.”

“What about Haven?”

“The atmosphere in Haven is also grim. Imperial citizens are under constant surveillance.”

Hearing Ricard’s report, the Crown Prince felt a sudden urge to order the eradication of Astra’s family as well.

“It will take time for things to settle down.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

Kanbraman took a deep breath, pressing his fingers to his temples.

“If we could contact him, do you think we could recruit him?”

“It would be difficult, Your Highness.”

“Why?”

“From my observations, Count Arad Jin seems to have his own objectives in helping the North.”

“Then we just need to fulfill those objectives for him, don’t we?”

“If that were possible, he would already be working for the Empire, not the North. It’s also possible… he harbors a deep hatred for the Empire.”

“Hmph…”

Ricard’s theory carried weight. There were likely two reasons why Arad was in the North.

Either he needed Northern cooperation for his plans, or he bore some grudge against the Empire.

“For now, find a way to make contact with him.”

Kanbraman could not deny his interest in Arad Jin, no less than his interest in the North itself.

“Understood. But what if he ultimately refuses?”

“If we can’t have him, then it’s better to destroy him. Can that be done?”

“With some effort, it could be achieved even now.”

But what Kanbraman feared more than losing Arad was the possibility of Arad actively obstructing the Empire while allied with Renslet.

“Your Highness…”

It was then that Chancellor Karaso cautiously spoke up.

“Grand Mage Yulkanes has shown great interest in Arad Jin.”

The suggestion to consult Yulkanes regarding Arad’s fate didn’t displease the Crown Prince. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully.

“I see. It would indeed be strange if he weren’t interested.”

After all, Yulkanes, the continent’s sole 8-circle Archmage, had every right to be intrigued.

Still, the fact that Yulkanes hadn’t personally conveyed his thoughts and instead relied on the Chancellor left a bitter taste.

But Kanbraman understood. Yulkanes was often consumed by his research, and even more so now, after being bothered extensively during the creation of the black obelisks.

‘I’ll need to consult with Yulkanes regarding Arad Jin.’

Just as the Crown Prince prepared to resume the meeting, a voice called from the entrance of the hall.

“Your Highness! Archbishop Terezia urgently requests an audience!”

Clicking his tongue, Kanbraman waved the knight forward.

“Tch… It must be about the Renslet Church. Let her in.”

The unwelcome guest had arrived, as expected.

***

The grand opening of the Arad Company, officially named Arad Company, was finally being held.

Originally, this event was supposed to take place a month ago, but it had been delayed due to several unforeseen incidents and accidents.

At first, I considered just skipping the ceremony altogether, but after much encouragement from those around me, I decided to hold a modest opening event.

"Looking forward to working with you, Sir Arad."
"If you need any materials for magic or alchemy, just let me know, President Jin."
"If anyone dares to cause trouble, just call me. I'll execute them on the spot under my authority as an enforcer."

The attendees of the opening ceremony were all prominent figures.

From Haitai, the chief administrator, to the Great Witch Isabelle, and Sir Balzac, the Frostblade Knight Commander.

"This is that food called chicken?!"
"Wow… This is insane! Absolutely insane!"
"I'm so glad I came to this opening!"

Even Sir Eote, Sir Carrot, and Sir Rosie, knights of the Frostblade Ghosts currently off duty due to shift rotations, were in attendance.

"Ahem! Even though the opening is a bit late, congratulations. Presi—cough, cough! Sir Arad."

And, most notably, Grand Duchess Arina, the most noble and high-ranking person in the North, graced the occasion with her presence.

"By any chance… is there anything you need? A favor, perhaps…?"

She asked if there was anything I required.

"I am already satisfied with everything, Your Grace. Should I ever need anything, I will humbly request an audience later."

I knew very well that it wouldn't be wise to continually ask her for this and that every time we met. So, I expressed my gratitude politely.

Even if she was the one initiating the question, as a businessman, it was important to discern whether this was a mere formality or a genuine offer.

"Is that so? …Understood."

The Grand Duchess seemed slightly disappointed with my response, but honestly, I couldn't focus on that right now.

‘Mary isn’t coming in today? For her to skip a day like this, that’s just too much.’

What bothered me more was the absence of Employee No. 1 of Arad Company, someone whose absence now left me feeling a little empty.

"Your Grace, is there any particular reason Lady Mary is absent today?"

"Uh…? Mary?"

"No matter how important her main job is, not showing up on a day like today seems a bit much."

"Well… you see…"

In the end, I directed my concern straight at Arina.

***

What I had just said to Arina could, in some ways, be considered insane.

After all, I was speaking to none other than the supreme ruler of this land—the Grand Duchess of the North.

But I had my reasons.

While my words were certainly rude and presumptuous, I believed that, given the accomplishments I had achieved so far, I was justified in speaking this boldly.

“Well… it’s just that…”

As expected, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she simply looked flustered and unsure of how to respond.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho! My apologies, Sir Arad.”

And then, an answer to my protest came—not from Arina, but from the side.

“Ahem! Lady Mary has been dealing with some family matters lately.”

“Yes, yes! Ahem! I’ll make sure to tell her to stop by later this afternoon.”

It was Isabelle, Haitai, and Sir Balzac who chimed in to address my concerns.

The fact that such esteemed individuals reacted so promptly to my question about Mary only strengthened my suspicions about her background.

“What exactly is she doing that’s causing this?” I asked.

“Well… it’s personal, so it’s not my place to say. But I’ll ensure she comes by later this afternoon.”

Personal matters, huh? It was likely something tied to Mary’s status—perhaps even something involving her biological mother.

“Hm… Understood.”

As much as I valued my employees, I wasn’t foolish enough to risk offending the Frostblade Ghosts, the Witch’s Council, or the Grand Duchess’s household.

Reluctantly, I nodded in agreement, masking my dissatisfaction as best I could.