When Arina first sat in on the lecture, she was hopeful.

"Well, it would be strange to dive right into things immediately. I can wait this much," she thought to herself, confidence bolstering her patience.

While she listened half-heartedly to Arad's explanations, letting his words pass in one ear and out the other, her mind replayed lessons on relationships she had picked up from married handmaidens. To top it off, she even reviewed the more explicit advice she had once received from Isabelle.

“Let’s move on to the next chapter. Turn the page,” Arad said.

“...?”

Yet, an hour passed with nothing but lecture progress.

"What’s going on? Is this really just going to end as a study session?"

In the end, Arina had no choice but to accept reality.

“……”

And so, another hour passed.

“...Thus, the ultimate goal of magical engineering is to develop a semi-permanent power device that operates not on the energy stored in mana stones, but on naturally occurring mana. Since mana is everywhere in nature, it would eliminate the need to procure mana stones. Like harnessing sunlight for energy... Hmm…?”

Arad, who had been passionately explaining concepts, suddenly paused, sensing something was amiss.

“Hm. Perhaps holding a class like this for the first day was a bit much.”

“……”

Seeing Arina, who was staring blankly at the book with a dazed expression, Arad’s face softened with a hint of guilt.

“...Is it over?”

“Yes, let’s wrap up for today. Good work.”

“Then... I’ll see you tomorrow.”

At Arad’s words, Arina shot up from her seat and made her way to the door.

“Let me walk with you.”

Arad followed closely behind her.

“It’s late, and the inner castle is quite far.”

“I’ll ride back on horseback.”

“That’s why I’m asking. Let me hitch a ride.”

“...Excuse me?”

Arina stopped in her tracks, baffled by Arad’s sudden request.

“‘Excuse me’? My home is near the inner castle as well—Arad Company’s main building, third floor.”

“No, I mean… What about your own horse?”

“I lent it out earlier when the workers needed more mounts for the construction team. It’s probably resting by now.”

“And your guards?”

At Arina’s question, Arad looked around casually.

The shadows of his usual escorts, who stuck to him like a second skin, were nowhere to be seen.

“They probably wanted to call it an early night.”

Arad shrugged nonchalantly. He had long believed that Mary was a disguised elite assassin, so the absence of his guards didn’t concern him in the least.

“……”

Meanwhile, Mary, as Arina watched him silently, began piecing together the situation.

"That’s unlikely… There’s no way this tactless man would deliberately send his guards away."

Judging by the circumstances, it seemed the escorts had tactfully distanced themselves, giving the two some privacy.

"They’re staying farther away than usual," she noted, expanding her senses as a knight. Sure enough, the guards were still nearby, discreetly watching from various hiding spots.

“...Fine. Just this once.”

After a moment of internal conflict, Arina gave in, deciding that leaving Arad behind in this state would feel petty.

“Thank you. Oh, by the way, could I ask for breakfast tomorrow as well?”

“Ask your guards to handle breakfast tomorrow. I don’t want strange rumors spreading.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Got it.”

The two mounted the horse together.

“I’ll take the reins,” Arina said as she took the lead, gripping the reins firmly. Arad climbed on behind her, sitting close as if in a loose back hug.

Under the moonlight, the horse trotted along the path steadily.

The season had transitioned into early winter, and the cold in the North was far from mild, but neither Arad nor Arina seemed to mind.

As a native Northerner with the ability to mitigate the chill using mana, Arina was unaffected. Meanwhile, Arad, though not originally from the North, had fully adapted to the cold thanks to his remarkably capable body, a gift of his reincarnation. His quick adaptation to the harsh Northern climate even amazed the local Northerners.

“……”

“……”

Neither spoke as they rode under the moonlit sky.

"What is this situation?"

Arina felt like she was going to lose her mind from the awkwardness.

This was her first time riding a horse with someone, let alone sitting ambiguously close in a man’s arms like this.

Normally, her heart would be racing wildly, but it wasn’t as intense as she expected. Likely, it was because of the misunderstanding and embarrassment she had experienced earlier at the factory.

"Should I say something?"

She found the silence unbearable.

“Why do you go this far?”

Arina finally broke the silence, her question layered with multiple meanings.

“...What do you mean?”

Unsurprisingly, Arad didn’t catch the nuance in her words.

“……”

She deliberately chose not to explain, curious to see how he would interpret her question.

“Ah… Are you asking why I’m so generous about lending out my horses? It’s for the sake of the employees and the company. If lending out a horse can make their work more efficient and help finish the construction even a second faster, I’ll gladly do it.”

Of course, Arad’s response was completely work-oriented, true to his nature.

“...I see.”

Hearing this, Arina sighed internally. This man truly was something else. How could someone like this have made such a bold confession to her in the Abyss?

At that time, I must have been blind to the opportunity gifted by the Heavens themselves.

"Still… what an admirable leader."

While his answer frustrated her, it also stirred a sense of respect.

“You’ve done more than enough for your employees and the soldiers assisting with construction. It’s excessive, really.”

Despite her respect, Arina felt a twinge of jealousy. If only a fraction of the care and attention he poured into his company could be directed at her.

“Northerners are known for their unyielding loyalty to those who treat them well. If I treat them kindly, they’ll repay me with unwavering dedication.”

“While that may be true for many Northerners, it’s not universal.”

Arina’s thoughts drifted to recent reports from her enforcers.

Not all Northerners were brave warriors. Not all were honorable.

Corrupt officials embezzling funds meant for war veterans, informants colluding with enemies, and nobles harboring treacherous intentions—the North was no exception to human flaws.

“People’s greed knows no bounds. This applies to your employees as well. In time, they may come to take your generosity for granted.”

From Arina’s perspective, Arad’s actions bordered on saintly—a level of benevolence that even clergymen would struggle to match.

In a world barely emerging from its medieval past, his conduct was nothing short of revolutionary.

"Arad values a person’s character above all else when hiring," she reflected. "And he claims to trust his instincts when dealing with people. But how many of the current factory workers were directly chosen by him?"

She remembered discussing his hiring methods on her first day of work.

"Right now, Arad is relying solely on the Northerners’ sense of honor. That’s dangerous!"

The more she thought about it, the more concern replaced her initial jealousy.

"As much as I hate to admit it…"

With a heavy heart, Arina decided to voice her sincere advice.

“You shouldn’t be too kind or familiar with your subordinates.”

“Is that so?”

Arina wasn’t always so distrustful of people. Her disillusionment with humanity had only developed recently.

“Most Northerners don’t see being paid for their work as a favor. They see it as a contract—a fair exchange of their labor for appropriate compensation.”

“Well, that’s only natural. If you hire someone, you should pay them fairly.”

“That’s true… but you go too far.”

“Given the sensitive nature of our operations, we must minimize betrayal and defection as much as possible.”

“No matter how well you treat them, those inclined to betray will still betray you in the end.”

Her voice carried the weight of betrayal she had experienced in the Abyss and during recent conspiracies.

Betrayal was not bound by social status—knights, nobles, and servants had all turned against her for their reasons.

“Moreover, didn’t you once tell me that you rely on your instincts when selecting people? How many of the current employees did you personally screen and hire?”

“The North is starved for talent. If I personally vetted every individual, there’d be no one left to hire. Still, I thoroughly vet key positions and executives, so don’t worry.”

“Even so, your treatment is excessive. Even if you’ve provided them with prosthetics, homes, and hope, people will eventually forget.”

Disillusionment and cynicism laced her words.

“……”

Arad gazed up at the night sky.

“Even so, it’s worth doing,” he said after a pause.

“Because even if some betray expectations, focusing on probabilities means you can tip the scales.”

“Probabilities?”

“Yes. If you select the best people and treat them well, while you may not eliminate betrayal entirely, you can reduce it significantly.”

While his explanation sounded idealistic, Arad’s inner thoughts were more practical.

"Here in the North, you only have two options: embrace brutal conditions and risk rebellion or implement welfare akin to Nordic socialism. The latter’s clearly the better choice."

His fear of potential unrest drove his determination.

“I believe treating employees sincerely will minimize the number of betrayers,” Arad continued.

“But even one betrayer could endanger you and the company.”

“No organization should crumble due to the actions of a few. If it does, the leader is at fault too.”

“!!”

Arina felt a pang of guilt. His words struck her deeply, forcing her to confront her past failures.

"Mary, you’re too fixated on the possibility of betrayal," Arad said firmly. "In doing so, you’re dismissing the loyalty of the majority."

“?!”

“Don’t let a few rotten trees blind you to the integrity of the forest.”

“……!”

Arina’s face flushed with shame.

"How could I forget that?"

The devotion of those who had remained loyal to her far outweighed the betrayals she had suffered. She had taken their faithfulness for granted while letting a few betrayals cloud her judgment.

As she reflected, her eyes grew hot, and she lowered her head to hide her expression.

Behind her, Arad, oblivious to her turmoil, spoke up.

“I think the Grand Duchess of the North is truly remarkable.”

The sudden praise caught Arina off guard.

“In a world like this, she still provides support for war veterans. That’s praiseworthy in and of itself.”

“That’s…”

“And her tax policies? Even with most of the budget going to the military, she ensures taxes aren’t excessively burdensome for the people. That kind of restraint is only possible because the Renslet family and Northern nobility have forsaken extravagance.”

“That’s merely continuing traditions established by her predecessors.”

“That makes it even more impressive.”

“Pardon?”

“Policies like these usually end with the ruler who introduced them. But the Grand Duchess has steadfastly upheld these traditions. That’s worth high praise.”

“Yet, such policies sparked rebellion.”

The duchy’s fair governance had rallied the populace but incited envy and treachery among the nobles.

“That rebellion was inevitable,” Arad said matter-of-factly.

“If they had capitulated to the demands of the traitors, would it have prevented rebellion? No. It would’ve led to widespread unrest, and the empire would’ve swallowed the North whole.”

“You seem to hold the Grand Duchess in high regard.”

“Of course. She’s the most virtuous ruler in Arcadia. I doubt any other leader could surpass her.”

“……!!”

Arina’s face flushed, this time with a different kind of embarrassment.

“The Grand Duchess must be… truly extraordinary. Hearing you speak of her this way…”

Hearing such praise from none other than Arad—a man who had witnessed golden ages—filled her with a mixture of pride and exhilaration.