“As soon as we go to the room, we have to get ready!”

After dinner, I cheerfully said this as the Duke carried me up to our room.

The Duke lightly tapped my forehead.

“There’s no need to prepare that much. We have a mansion in the capital, so most things will already be there.”

“My clothes too?”

“Yes, I had them prepared in advance.”

It wasn’t surprising that the Duke had a mansion in the capital. What surprised me more was that my clothes and other necessities were already prepared.

How did he know I would go to the capital? Preparations can’t be cheap.

‘This is the power of capital…’

“But the departure is soon. If you have to prepare, say it now.”

“Well, we are leaving in two weeks, is there a need to hurry?”

I was confused at his words.

“In two weeks? The founding ceremony is less than a month away. Won’t we be late?”

“If we don’t use the teleport, we’d have to leave now to barely make it. We will use the teleport. We won’t be late, two days will be enough.”

I frowned upon hearing the Duke’s words.

‘Strange, we can use the teleport?’

I couldn’t understand, so I asked my familiar again. Despite its grumbling, it went to check the area with the teleport and told me.

The silver snake, who had finished speaking, stayed in front of me, as if waiting for something.

I spread some trinkets in front of the silver snake. Its eyes widened, and its tail swayed.

“Take just one.”

“I said, take just one.”

Staring intently, the silver snake reluctantly dropped a ruby it had held in its mouth.

It already had a ring with a sapphire hanging from its tail.

‘Really strange.’

In the original story, it said that the teleport connecting Hesera and the capital was not usable.

‘So, the Duke really hated going to the capital, saying it was a waste of time.’

But now we can use the teleport?

‘Could it be that the incident hasn’t happened yet?’

The incident where Hesera’s teleport was disabled was when an inspection team died in an accident while using it. Does that mean the inspection team will come to the Duke’s house?

My prediction was correct.

Exactly one week later, uninvited guests arrived at the mansion.

I faintly felt the ground vibrate through the open window, then heard the clanking of metal. The room seemed to reverberate with heavy footsteps.

“Oh my.”

Sophia, who had been looking out the window, wore a worried expression. I also followed her gaze outside.

“Knights?”

“Yes, young master. Shall I find out which order they’re from?”

“Yes, seeing the symbol of the sun, they must be from the royal order.”

“You’re right.”

Sophia approvingly patted my head and chuckled.

“The royal family always does this, barging in without any prior message. One could say they swallowed etiquette with their soup.”

For once, Sophia spoke in a grim tone. A quick glance revealed a vein popping on her forehead.

‘Entering without prior notice is like swallowing etiquette with soup. Therefore, the Emperor is a person who swallowed etiquette with soup.’

I carefully memorized this fact.

Sophia was angry because she cared about our family so much.

And I, who had come to love the people of the Crustel family just as much as her, was also very angry at their appearance. We weren’t even a villainous family!

‘It looks like they’ve come for a war.’

For just delivering a message, a messenger would suffice. Why send so many knights?
Father could hardly like someone who came out of the royal palace like that. I clicked my tongue internally.

Fortunately, the knights couldn’t barge in beyond the main gate. A single unfamiliar carriage leisurely entered the premises.

The design of the carriage was entirely different from the ones the guildsmen had brought during the last assembly. The intricately engraved patterns were captivating.

An ornament with a sun engraving hung in front of the carriage, and flowing golden lines, as if water, adorned the sides.

Carriages were originally meant for travel. Yet, this one was excessively lavish and luxurious, as if it were unaware of its primary purpose.

A carriage decorated in symbols of the sun and light, in golden hues.

Sophia let out a short sigh and spoke.

“Parading that they’ve come from the royal palace. Such a spectacle easily becomes a target. Typical of lowlifes.”

I wasn’t sure how she knew these facts, but she had claimed to be a mage, so she must have had some combat experience.

‘All the words are invaluable.’

I etched her words into my memory once more. Four men descended from the carriage.

I squinted to identify their statuses. Well, there was soon no need for that.

“Sophia!”

The door burst open. Delma panted as she spoke.

“The royal inspection team is here!”

“Ah, long time no see, Crustel Duke. It’s been roughly four years since I last saw you at the royal palace before coming to Hesera?”

With the emperor’s message in tow, Count Vasco, the head servant, entered the room buoyantly.

The Duke wore a sarcastic smile as uninvited guests made themselves at home.

Count Vasco returned the smile as he faced Cailius.