Astel territory, which was about to celebrate the harvest festival, was busier than ever, but the people’s faces showed vitality and joy.

“Everyone looks very bright. The harvest festival seems to be a great celebration here.”

Lucas and Cedric, who had already taken off their hoods, began to tour the territory on horseback as rumors had spread that the wandering knight had arrived.

“Other territories have that much too.”

Lucas responded indifferently to Cedric’s words.

“The square right in front of the lord’s mansion is usually lively. It’s the same in the capital. Just as high-ranking nobles live around the imperial palace, here too, the lord’s old retainers and the wealthy will live.”

Cedric nodded at Lucas’ words. The stores lined up in this square were not so impressive if you thought that the wealthiest people in the territory used them.

“First, let’s go to the end of the territory. The further away from the lord, the more we’ll be able to see the true face of the territory.”

“Yes, for… no. Sir.”

Fortunately, no one heard, but Cedric had to endure Lucas’ sharp gaze.

“Let’s go quickly!”

Cedric exclaimed awkwardly and spurred his horse. According to the map received from the attendant at the ducal residence, Astel territory had vast farmland and the territory excluding that was also very wide.

After riding the horses for a while, Lucas stopped by a thin stream and dismounted. The horses drank the trickling water coolly, taking a rare break.

“The map of Astel.”

“Yes.”

Lucas stood and examined the map of the Duchy of Astel for a long time. At first glance, it was just an ordinary map, but as he rode the horse himself, there was an astonishing fact.

“How can the map and reality be the same?”

The map used simple symbols without being complicated, coloring the lands with purpose such as farmland and forest with different colors, and naming the villages where the people lived in each section. It wasn’t just the notation.

“Even the map of the imperial capital is not this accurate. Moreover, what about the road we’ve come along.”

Indeed, Cedric nodded as if he understood what Lucas meant.

“Yes. All the roads were exactly as on the map. To a frightening degree.”

The map of the Duchy of Astel was arranged so that as much as possible, all sections were rectangular, and not only the main roads but also the small alleys were marked.

“And what about the roads.”

Although they rode the horses for quite a long time, they hardly felt any fatigue. They only rode on the standard roads drawn on the map, but the surface was even and smooth everywhere, so the roads were all smooth.

“This…”

Lucas narrowed his eyes and stared at the road.

“It seems slightly wider than the imperial standard wagons.”

“Ah… No wonder the interval seemed familiar. It’s the same as in the capital.”

The emperor of the 3rd war rebuilt the roads at great expense to supply smooth goods to the capital.

Of course, there were many complaints, but after completion, the speed of goods moving in and out of the capital increased dramatically, so it was evaluated as an achievement.

“A territory with vast farmland and roads of the same standard as the capital. Moreover, even if you can’t read, you can go anywhere with just this map.”

There were hardly any letters on the map, and there were tree-shaped pictures in the forest and ear-shaped pictures in the farmland. The main roads had numbers, and the small paths following those branches were given small numbers according to those numbers.

Whether illiterate or a child, with just this map, at least in Astel, there would be no chance of getting lost.

“Hmm, it’s definitely a well-organized map. But there are a few things I have no clue about at all.”

Lucas pointed to a few pictures that he still couldn’t understand.

“Later at the ducal residence…”

“No, let’s go now.”

Lucas mounted his horse and pointed east with his finger.

“It’s over there.”

Cedric, who sighed, had no choice.

To get to the place Lucas was curious about, they had to pass through a road crossing the farmland. The sight of the golden ears swaying whenever the autumn wind blew was spectacular.

“It’s beautiful.”

As they rode, not only wheat ears but also small, colorful fruits on bushes and a large orchard in the distance came into view.

It wasn’t the first time visiting a prosperous territory, but it was the first time seeing a place that produced various crops in such a systematic way.

“I’ve seen territories larger than Astel, but this… looks literally abundant.”

Lucas’ dark eyes were briefly filled with melancholy as he stopped the horse for a moment to watch the spectacular sight of the entire field swaying like golden waves whenever the clear autumn wind blew.

“And this is only a part of the farmland.”

Faced with a sight he had never seen before, his curiosity about Serena, who directly governed this territory, grew even more.

“Let’s go.”

Lucas told Cedric and spurred his horse. They had to ride for quite a while to reach the strange-shaped place on the map.

Serena was spending her day as usual. It was annoying to argue with the crown prince in the morning, but once she started her official duties, she erased the complicated thoughts with her fearsome concentration.

“Lady, it’s tea time.”

Anna entered the ducal residence’s office at the appointed time. The fragrance of tea wafted through the air, but Serena still had her eyes buried in documents.

“Just a moment, let me just look at this.”

“No. You promised me that you would take a break for at least 10 minutes during tea time no matter what.”

As the strict Anna placed the tea set on the table, Serena pouted but got up from her desk and sat on the sofa.

“The aroma is nice.”

“It’s tea harvested and aged this spring.”

At those words, Serena took a sip of tea with a delighted face and nodded.

“If the quantity stabilizes, we could make it an export product of Astel.”

“Lady, talking about official duties is forbidden during tea time.”

The elegant smile of the middle-aged lady was something even the robust Serena couldn’t win against. It was the so-called softness that overcomes strength.

“Then, instead of official duties, what about the annoying crisis that has befallen our territory?”

Anna, who couldn’t say anything about the crown prince, closed her mouth.

“Where’s Peter?”

“He’s at the mansion. He said he cleaned and tidied up the place where His Highness the Crown Prince will stay in the annex as you ordered this morning.”

“He must have worked hard.”

Originally, the Astel Ducal Residence consisted of one large main building and two annexes.

However, after the number of people in the ducal family decreased and, decisively, after the current lord, the duke, fell into wandering, only the current main building was being used.

“He said he barely decorated the first floor just enough to accommodate His Highness the Crown Prince for now.”

“That’s enough since he’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

Serena put down her teacup with a clink.

“Shall I call Peter?”

Serena nodded at the quick-witted Anna’s words.

“Young lady, did you call for me?”

After a short while, Peter entered and paid his respects politely.

Despite being together for a long time, he always showed consistent etiquette and loyalty.

“You must have worked hard to decorate the annex so suddenly.”

“Not at all. Managing this mansion is my role.”

Peter looked at Serena while standing. She probably had something else she was curious about.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has not returned yet. I heard the attendant gave him a map, so it seems he’s really going to tour the territory. Rumors are already spreading near the square.”

“What do they say?”

“They say a knight of noble status came and looked around near the square and observed the merchants. That’s…”

Seeing Peter trailing off unusually, Serena made a puzzled expression.

“Why? It’s okay, tell me.”

“The people near the square right now… are not in a good state because of His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Bang! Serena slammed the table and abruptly stood up.

“If something like that happened, you should have informed me right away!”

“No, that’s… it’s not in a bad direction for the people. Probably.”

“Probably? What on earth happened near the square?”

“They say His Highness the Crown Prince was acting as a knight and looking around the square and even spoke directly to a few people.”

“You already mentioned that earlier, so why are the people acting strange?”

Peter also had difficulty expressing it, unusually furrowing his brows.

“They’re… overly excited, should I say? Too enthusiastic, perhaps?”

“About what?”

“Who else could it be but His Highness the Crown Prince.”

This time Serena also furrowed her brows.

“…Why?”

“I don’t really know either. But regardless of age or gender, they fell for the new knight’s appearance. Especially the women, from girls to ladies, are completely smitten and the square is in an uproar today.”

“So, why?”

Today, Lucas took off his shabby hood and didn’t hide his handsome face, his black hair tousled by the autumn wind.

“Perhaps it’s because they saw a different noble for the first time?”

Anna said nonchalantly.

“When you first came here, lady, everyone was also amazed by your beautiful appearance and couldn’t take their eyes off you.”

“Is… that so?”

In fact, the syndrome Lucas caused now was a little different from Serena’s case.

“Hmm, I think the madam is right. It must have been a novelty for them to see such a tall and sturdy man for the first time.”

Is that really all? Only Anna alone had a strange smile.

The tall stature and noble features of the knight, as if from a fairy tale, and his deep dark eyes were a refreshing shock to the people of Astel.

“Ah, continuing the story about the square earlier.”

“Why? Is there more to tell?”

Wherever Lucas went, he drew exclamations from the women, and the admiring gazes at Cedric by his side were also considerable. It was only natural for two handsome men from afar to stand out together.

“Yes. Although His Highness the Crown Prince has left the square, the crowd is still swarming. Almost at the level of the harvest festival, especially the women.”

Serena asked innocently once again.

“Why?”

“Young lady, I don’t know. First, I will go and check if they are still gathered there.”

“Alright.”

After Peter left the room, Serena tilted her head.

“Anna, do you know the reason?”

Smiling elegantly, Anna kept her mouth shut. The answer to this question was only meaningful if Serena realized it herself. And if the day came when she realized that answer, a spring breeze would also blow in her youth.