William’s concerns deepened over time. Some days, Siod would take the children on trips to small cities outside the capital, and other days, he would take them to the Rodante family’s territory.

The Rodante territory was a barren wasteland with a lone magic tower standing in the middle, surrounded by nothing but empty plains. Or so he thought, until they reached the outskirts where there were people.

“There are people living in this territory?”

The poor could be found everywhere. While distributing coins to the begging children, Siod said,

“These are vagrants.”

Aren’t vagrants like gypsies or wanderers? William’s common sense shattered as he looked at the shabby, refugee-like children.

“They’re people who became vagrants because they have no family registry. They might be descendants of those who once called this territory home, or criminals who fled from other countries, or perhaps they were born without a registry.”

“Like me?” asked Larisa, who was nestled in Siod’s arms. Larisa was born as a poor citizen of the capital without a family registry because Marina didn’t have one.

While the urban poor live isolated within city walls, unable to cross without official status, those from cities without walls scatter and become vagrants.

“Yes. They’re not official territory residents, so the Rodante family has no obligation to care for them. They’re abandoned people.”

“Then those people…”

“Unless the lord takes them in, creates registries, and helps them settle, there’s not much to be done.”

William pressed his lips together tightly.

“They’re living here now, but we don’t know when they might leave again. Don’t worry about it too much.”

“If you’re going to tell me not to worry, why did you show me this?”

William dreams of helping people. Of course, he would be affected by seeing people living in such poverty in his own territory.

Siod, seeing William more excited than expected, deliberately spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“I just wanted to show you what a lord can do. You’re not a lord yet, so there’s nothing you can do right now.”

William’s face twisted with frustration. How could they ignore people living right there in Rodante territory?

That evening, William confronted Guinevere.

“Mother, do you know there are people living in Rodante territory?”

“I know.”

“Why are you leaving them be?”

Guinevere spoke casually.

“You want me to drive them out?”

“No!”

William cried out in shock. He was taken aback.

He had thought that the stories of his mother being a cold-hearted witch without blood or tears were just made up, and that she wasn’t really cold, just excessively disinterested in anything other than magic.

Having his belief directly contradicted, William began to stammer.

“I don’t mean drive them out, I mean…”

Guinevere calmly waited for William to organize his thoughts. She wasn’t often patient. But a parenting book she had recently read said that child-rearing was 80% patience.

“They’re people living in your territory, and you’re the lord. Shouldn’t you care for them and look after them?”

“Why should I?”

Guinevere was simply expressing genuine curiosity. There was absolutely no ill intent. But William lost his resolve.

“…Never mind.”

Siod, unable to bear watching any longer, intervened.

“William, I was going to explain this tomorrow, but I guess I’ll tell you now. If Guinevere officially accepts the vagrants as territory residents, she’ll have to pay taxes from then on.”

“What?”

“She has to pay taxes to the country based on the population. Do you think those vagrants will settle in the wasteland and pay taxes? While reclaiming the wasteland and settling people in the territory, the Rodante family would have to bear those costs.”

This was something Guinevere had never even considered, but it seemed to be part of Siod’s lessons, so she remained silent.

“How much money would it take? Who would oversee the reclamation project? How long would it take? Moreover, Guinevere doesn’t even have an obligation to do this.”

“But if you’re not going to do anything, why did you become a lord?”

William looked at Guinevere. She shrugged and said,

“The king gave it to me.”

Only then did William recall the history of Adelia. Rodante was originally a frontier of an enemy country. A country that invaded Adelia 120 years ago, now long gone.

Guinevere had erased the city with wide-area magic and earned the title of Adelia’s guardian. It was the event that led to Adelia claiming the title of empire.

Suddenly realizing how formidable a person he had been impudent to, William quietly sat up straight. Seeing William so subdued, Larisa interjected.

“Mother, William wants to help those people.”

“…Is that so?”

Why? Guinevere barely swallowed those words that had risen to her throat. Don’t question what the child wants to do, support them. She recalled the phrase written in the parenting book.

“Then give it a try.”

“Pardon?”

William responded blankly.

“Me?”

Siod was just as surprised as William. He had only wanted to give William a chance to think positively about becoming a lord and inheriting the duke’s title.

He never imagined Guinevere would entrust a 14-year-old with a lord’s duties.

“Wait, Vera. William is only 14.”

“So?”

What’s the problem? Guinevere tilted her head. 14 years old, the age of storm and stress. At that age, Guinevere had gone to the battlefield and achieved merit.

“If you want to do it, do it. What does age have to do with it?”

Guinevere was sincere. William stared blankly at Guinevere, then turned to Siod and asked,

“How much money would we need?”

“…I don’t know either.”

“My entire fortune is one million linars…”

William’s face turned ashen at the prospect of losing his entire fortune in an instant.

“Wait, William. You’re still a minor. You don’t really think you can do this, do you?”

Can’t he? Guinevere and William looked at Siod with identical expressions. Siod sensed that his workload was about to increase.

The next day, as soon as the lesson time came, Siod sighed as William cornered him and bombarded him with questions.

‘How did it come to this?’

“Professor, please help me. Where should I start?”

William, of course, knew nothing. A 14-year-old who barely understood noble sensibilities was suddenly trying to develop a territory.

“First, we need to choose a suitable settlement location.”

“How?”

“Usually, we’d choose a terrain that’s easy to defend in case of war, but since the optimal location already has a magic tower, around here would be good.”

Siod spread out a map and pointed to a spot. William nodded. Larisa, fascinated by the unfamiliar map, poked her head in to look but soon lost interest and turned her attention to a picture book.

“It’s close to a water source, not too far out, and good for securing land routes.”

“Professor, how do you know all this?”

Siod made a bitter expression. He wanted to say that you’d know too if you rolled around for a thousand years, but he couldn’t.

“You’ll learn this at the academy too.”

“What’s next after choosing a settlement location?”

“We need to persuade people to settle there.”

William nodded. Seeing his perfect listening attitude, Siod felt strange.

It was good that William listened to him well, but it was a headache to take on such troublesome work.

Teaching children and managing territory are separate matters. Siod was already working as an academy professor to maintain his status. He didn’t want to add more bothersome work here.

“But William, are you sure about this? If you take on this task, it will only solidify your position as the heir in the eyes of the public.”

“Ah…”

“You didn’t agree to this without thinking, did you?”

He hadn’t thought that far. William blinked silently.

“Are you going to become the duke?”

“…I don’t know.”

“If you’re not going to see it through to the end, don’t even start. Who would trust you and settle in the territory if they knew you might abandon it halfway?”

“But…”

William fell into deep thought. He himself didn’t know what he wanted.

When he saw the vagrants living in Rodante territory, he had felt a surge of emotion, and his desire to help them was genuine.

But when asked if he would become a duke for their sake, he couldn’t be certain.

“Think about it some more.”

Siod ruffled William’s hair vigorously and scooped up Larisa.

“Larisa, let’s play princess with the teacher.”

“Princess play?”

“Yes. Larisa is the princess, and I’m the guest. We’re having tea together.”

“Wow, that’s exciting!”

Larisa clapped her hands in delight. Siod began teaching tea etiquette disguised as play with Larisa. Behind them, William sank into serious contemplation.

*

After weeks of pondering, William spoke up one evening.

“Mother, I want to become an alchemist.”

“…”

Seeing Guinevere silently waiting, William asked, feeling bewildered,

“You’re not against it?”

Guinevere hated alchemy. He had thought she would certainly object. Guinevere spoke calmly.

“You’re planning to do it even if I object, aren’t you?”

“But you told me to become the duke. Is it okay if the Duke of Rodante practices… something like black magic and rumors spread?”

Guinevere spoke dismissively.

“There are already rumors that the Duke of Rodante is a blood-crazed witch anyway.”

Ah. William inwardly sighed. Bizarre rumors like extracting hearts from newborns to eat or bathing in fresh blood from nightly murders always seemed to follow Guinevere.

That’s why William thought Guinevere hated alchemy even more.

“Mother, you’re actually innocent, but if I become the duke and dabble in alchemy too, everyone will think the rumors are true.”

His tone was gloomy. Guinevere realized that William had decided to inherit the title.

She was proud. Proud, and touched that amid all this, his remaining concern was about her. Guinevere spoke with a slightly overwhelmed tone.

“You’re going to change people’s perception of alchemy, aren’t you?”

“That’s true, but…”

How long it would take, whether it was even possible, was unknown. Just as William was about to say this, Guinevere spoke first.

“I believe in you.”

William’s expression completely crumbled. Guinevere could tell that the walls around her son’s heart had also crumbled in that moment. Joy and regret washed over her simultaneously.

‘I should have said this a little sooner.’