“Indeed, you treat me like a nuisance whether I’m speaking informally or not.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Lu immediately denied it.

“I am maintaining an appropriate distance between Your Majesty and my status.”

“I don’t care what status you have.”

“That’s precisely the problem!”

Just then, Icarus raised his head with a squawk. Something sparkled atop the tower.

“It’s okay. It’s a signal welcoming us.”

Hayden patted Icarus and continued flying without slowing down.

Though not as fast as teleportation magic, Icarus was incredibly quick. The magnificent griffin soared from one end of the horizon to the other in an instant.

The ruins of the massive, desolate tower became clearer, and Icarus elegantly circled in the air once before gently landing.

“Good job.”

“Squawk!”

At Hayden’s praise, a proud Icarus lowered his body willingly for Lu.

“Thank you, Icarus.”

When Lu whispered to the Emperor’s haughty steed, Icarus blinked at her slowly.

After letting Lu down, Hayden allowed her to look around. There were two dilapidated towers with crumbling stairs. Weeds and even twisted trees grew where the stones had fallen.

The destruction must have happened a long time ago, but it was clear no one had bothered to look after the place since. The beautiful tower had long been in decline.

“Your Majesty!”

Someone suddenly ran out from between the overgrown, broken marbles. It seemed to be an entrance.

“Please, come this way…!”

A young man in his mid-twenties, draped in a long robe, greeted them and immediately fell flat on his face.

“Lord Kellar, you seem to have lost stamina.”

“The tower is…so…wide…”

“Why didn’t you teleport?”

“How dare I in front of Your Majesty…”

Lord Kellar struggled to catch his breath and couldn’t finish his sentence.

Only visitors who had been approved after rigorous checks by stewards or courtiers could meet the Emperor. And even then, they could only enter after receiving permission again at the door. To appear so suddenly in front of the Emperor was an unforgivable mistake.

“Next time, teleport up to this vicinity and walk the rest of the way. I won’t say anything.”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”

Lord Kellar managed to stand up and bowed his head once more.
He looked ordinary and slightly unkempt, yet seemed diligent. He was slightly shorter than Hayden, and his physique was incredibly muscular. How vast must the tower be for such a man to be stretched thin?

“Like a knight’s body.”

Rustica Gennes scanned the man with her sharp eyes.

“Your Grace, this is Sir Roderick Callerhan, the current wizard overseeing the tower. Callerhan, this is Rustica Gennes, Countess of Plache.”

“Ah, yes, hello, yes?”

As Roderick lifted his bowed head, his eyes widened, looking at Rustica Gennes.

“Yes?”

His voice grew as wide as his eyes. Rustica Gennes had a rough idea by now. This man, undoubtedly, was from the Calleta Empire. There’s a high probability that he’s also a former member of the Imperial Knights.

“Rustica Gennes, the Countess of Plache… huh?”

He recalled the surname of Countess Plache as Gennes. Roderick Callerhan puzzled over it repeatedly and then seemed to find his answer.

“So, this is what wizards are like.”

Hayden shook his head.

“Could you be the ‘Guardian of Catat’ Rustica Gennes?”

That was one of the milder nicknames she had earned during her time flying with the Imperial Knights. At least it didn’t include any profanity.

“You’re a former Imperial Knight?”

“Ah, yes. I transferred to Perseta when you started your activities. I was a second-grade knight in the Imperial Knights. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Truly, it’s an honor to meet you!”

Roderick Callerhan panted, trying to catch his breath. What is a former second-grade knight doing in a collapsing tower?

“It’s no honor. Don’t mention it.”

“There used to be quite a few of us from the Imperial Knights here. Well, in the end, only I and one other remain.”

“I see.”

“I was really surprised when you said you were the Countess of Plache.”

Roderick briskly led the two deeper into the space.

The barren and lonely wasteland shook with faded weeds, especially thorny ones.

The giant tower standing on top of it seemed to be on the brink of collapse, but it also seemed to be held up by an enormous amount of time, as sturdy as marble.

“Does the tower get news from Chalea?”

“It does. Sometimes we go out, or Countess Plache sends us several weeks’ worth of newspapers along with food. But the pace is very slow.”

Roderick Callerhan, his hair cut short just like when he was a knight, was still using the title ‘Sir.’ It seems that Hayden had knighted him in Perseta.

Rustica Gennes walked along the wall, strewn with shriveled vine plants. The tower was as vast as Roderick had said.

“I heard that the Calleta Envoy would be coming, but I didn’t expect the legendary ‘Guardian of Catat’ to arrive.”

“The envoy from Calleta is Her Grace.”

Hayden spoke as he walked.

“Yes, ye—?”

His voice echoed in the empty courtyard. Once, many wizards must have strolled here, discussing magic or mulling over various issues.

Now, only shattered stone decorations and fountains filled with dried soil and sprouting weeds remained.

“So, you’re here as the Calleta Envoy?”

Roderick Callerhan’s eyes were filled with caution. He had obviously set his heart on Perseta, having arrived there earlier than Rustica Gennes.

But anyone who knew the truth about Carlos would do the same. Yet, Rustica Gennes thought his reaction was rather fresh for someone kidnapped by demons. After all, weren’t all Calleta natives in Perseta kidnap victims?

“No.”

She shook her head decisively while having these thoughts. At this point, she had a good guess as to why the kidnapping had occurred.
“Even if you say you’ve been dragged around by the Emperor lately, Your Grace, the entire empire knows that’s your daily life now.”

“If you know that, then cut me some slack. I’ve been mentally exhausted being dragged around all week.”

“You were given a day off in between. Furthermore, you had the chance to meet your family after the break. Wasn’t that a considerate week?”

Hayden’s words, as annoyingly accurate as they were, made it difficult for Ru to argue. Trying to control her expression, Ru followed Roderick.

“So, will you stay in Fersecta, Your Grace?”

He cautiously asked.

“Yes. I have family here and…”

Ru hesitated for a moment, wondering how to describe her feelings, then spoke again.

“I no longer want to do anything beneficial for Caletta.”

“Ah, I understand. Some despise Caletta for various reasons, or have resigned themselves to it.”

Step by step, they passed a grand hall where magicians had gathered and a staircase that seemed merely decorative.

“I thought many people would ask to be sent back to Caletta, hearing that a consulate is opening.”

At his words, Ru looked up.

“No, no one has asked for that yet.”

“They will appear soon enough. Mostly those who can’t adapt to Fersecta, missing what they had in Caletta.”

Roderick muttered, sounding bitter.

“Are there many such people?”

“Not a small number.”

“Did the magicians from Caletta who came here also leave for the same reason?”

“Haha, no.”

He chuckled heartily, shaking his head. The further they went inside, the cleaner and more organized it appeared. The problem was that there weren’t many such places compared to the disorganized ones.

“Not all magicians see magic itself as a field of study and enjoy researching it. Many left, disappointed, thinking there isn’t much left for them here.”

“Master Matop must be very disheartened.”

“Well…”

At the end of the staircase, Roderick led the two into a newly opened hall with a faint smile.

“Not many people know what he thinks. Now, please step onto the magic circle.”

In the center of the hall, enclosed by six arches forming a circle, was a delicate and precise magic circle far beyond what Ru could draw. The towering spire had stairs, but it was a moot point.

“Are you ready? Then, let’s teleport.”

The magic circle glowed blue, and the light began to rise.