“Hmm, but do I really have to make an achievement with this mission? If a better opportunity comes up later, I’ll give it to you, Arasila.”

“No! I must do it this time. Opportunities to catch high-level monsters are rare, you know.”

Faced with Arasila’s strong assertion, Frederick fell into contemplation.

With her legs crossed and eyes lowered, she looked like a sculpture, but Arasila didn’t notice at all.

After quite a long time passed, Frederick finally opened his mouth.

“Well, alright… If that’s what you want, I’ll allow it. It’s not like it’ll be bad for you anyway.”

“Thank you, Frederick.”

“No, it’s because you’ll be able to handle things more cleanly if you go see for yourself.”

Frederick said with a meaningful smile.

Although she couldn’t understand what exactly she was supposed to go see and handle cleanly, Arasila decided to focus on rescuing Demian for now.

Frederick immediately changed the western monster subjugation to a joint mission between the Red Hawk Knights and the Magic Tower.

Arasila took the request form he wrote and went to find Philip.

“Tower Master, I’ve brought a monster subjugation mission. Please allow me to represent the Magic Tower.”

Philip looked bewilderedly at his disciple who was bowing while suddenly presenting the request form.

“This is the mission I mentioned earlier. I want to make some achievements, so please allow it.”

“No… Hah, really. Even so, are you saying you want to go on a mission with the knights now?”

He had somewhat understood Arasila’s request to go directly to the imperial palace to receive a request.

However, Philip asked incredulously, belatedly realizing it was a joint operation with the Red Hawk Knights. Arasila nodded.

“Using the knights will make it easier to achieve something. Isn’t it good for both sides?”

It wasn’t wrong, but Philip was still dumbfounded as Arasila was the first from the Magic Tower to voluntarily propose collaborating with knights.

He asked seriously.

“Arasila, you haven’t forgotten that you’re in a contract marriage with that man, have you?”

“Of course not, Master. That’s why I’m proposing to share some achievements, right? What’s the point of only doing things that benefit them?”

Arasila made up another excuse, unable to be honest even with her master.

The reason was simple.

Philip was still worried about the contract marriage with Demian. Moreover, she hadn’t told him about her prophetic dreams, so she wasn’t sure if he would believe her even if she told him now.

Above all, it was much easier and quicker to say this than to explain the circumstances in detail.

Indeed, Philip’s expression softened when he heard Arasila’s response about stealing Demian’s achievements.

He nodded, letting out his characteristic laugh.

“Alright, fine. Since you obtained this mission, go as our representative. I’ll arrange for mages who are favorable to you.”

“Thank you.”

Everything proceeded smoothly.

Lastly, Arasila notified Demian about the joint mission.

Naturally, Demian looked at Arasila, unable to hide his bewilderment.

“Wife, did you do this on purpose?”

“As if I’d do it by mistake. Don’t try to stop me since I’m doing this to prevent your death.”

“But subjugating high-level monsters is too dangerous. It’s not something to be taken lightly.”

“I know. It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”

Although perhaps not as much as Demian, Arasila had plenty of experience in monster subjugation.

She was always one of the mages who participated when the Magic Tower went on subjugations.

Even high-level monsters, though not encountered often, she had dealt with without much difficulty.

Demian rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.

“After seeing me die in your dream, why are you insisting on going to such a dangerous place? I’ll be careful on my own, so please stay here.”

“No. The mission has already been changed to a joint one, so I can’t back out. Besides, didn’t you say you’d support me first?”

“…”

“Support me in this mission.”

Having already become the wicked wife who set out to steal her husband’s achievements, Arasila intended to do it properly.

Seeing the intense determination in her eyes, Demian let out a sigh.

He seemed to think it was wrong to try to dissuade Arasila.

On the day of departure for the western Poshan village.

The front of the Vandermir mansion was busy and noisy. This was because all those participating in this monster subjugation operation were to gather at the mansion.

People in black uniforms and those in white uniforms clearly divided themselves into separate areas.

“Are we really going with mages?”

The former were, of course, the Red Hawk Knights following Demian.

“Ugh, the knights are a bit uncomfortable.”

The latter were the mages who joined the subjugation team following Arasila.

Murmurs constantly flowed from each group.

The chatter ceased when their respective superiors appeared.

Demian, dressed in the Red Hawk Knights’ uniform, and Arasila, in the Magic Tower’s uniform, came out side by side.

The knights turned their bodies straight towards Demian and saluted. Demian approached and stood before them.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, Commander!”

The answer resounded powerfully. Despite the early morning, the knights seemed full of energy.

Arasila, standing in front of the mages who were slightly frowning at the painfully loud sound, said,

“Let’s all do well this time.”

“Yes, senior.”

The currently assembled mages were mostly Arasila’s juniors, regardless of age.

The knights snickered softly at the weak and limp response.

Demian and Arasila carefully looked over the groups standing in front of them, then, as if by agreement, each threw out a similar remark.

“Anyone who picks fights with mages without reason or causes trouble will be severely punished.”

“If I catch you fighting with knights, I won’t let you off easy. Try it if you want to face me.”

The meaning was clear: absolutely do not cause conflicts with the other side.

The knights and mages nodded towards their superiors but didn’t stop glancing at each other. Needless to say, those glances were not entirely friendly.

With some degree of precariousness, the joint subjugation team of the Knights and the Magic Tower took their first steps.

Ever since the Duchess’s birthday, the atmosphere in the Vandermir ducal family had been gloomy.

It was natural, given that the results from the birthday party were the exact opposite of what they had wanted.

The Duke and the Grand Duchess furiously scolded the Duchess for failing to handle things properly. The Duchess hung her head like a criminal.

Although both had agreed, it was she who had planned and carried out the scheme, so she alone bore the responsibility.

After venting their anger and finally calming down, the Duchess carefully opened her mouth while watching the mother and son.

“It seems it won’t be easy to make those two divorce. Why don’t we try to get rid of Father’s will instead?”

Even if the Emperor had certified it, without the physical will, it would be useless.

Feeling the strong bond between the two, the Duchess thought this might be more hopeful.

The Duke, who was smoking a cigar, frowned at his wife’s words.

“If that were possible, I would have done it already! That’s why we got rid of the copy! But we don’t know where the real one is, so what can we do?”

Few people knew, but the will of the previous Duke that the ducal family originally had was a copy.

They didn’t know where the real will was either. Where on earth had their senile father hidden that will before he died?

“Haah…”

The Duke let out a deep sigh. Tapping the ash from his cigar, he muttered softly.

“Maybe it’s better to wait for the throne to change…”

That would give them a bit more to rely on, allowing them to feel somewhat more at ease.

They continued to discuss various ideas, but no good solutions emerged. The Grand Duchess retired first, saying she was tired, and the Duke and Duchess were about to prepare to return to their bedroom when-

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the Duke’s office.

The Duke and Duchess looked at the door curiously. Soon after, the person who appeared was Oscar.

“Oh, you’re both here. Perfect, I had something to tell you.”

Oscar entered with a smiling face and sat across from the Duchess, diagonally from the Duke.

The Duchess, worried that her occasionally tactless son might upset her husband with careless words, quickly asked.

“What did you want to say?”

“Ah, well-”

Taking a deep breath, Oscar spoke to his parents with a serious and determined expression.

“Mother, Father. Please send me to the capital.”

Before he even finished speaking, a vein popped up on the Duke’s temple.

Oscar had often whined about being sent to the capital for entertainment before.

Angry that he was making such a request even when his future was in crisis, the Duke shouted.

“What, you want to go play again?! This brat really can’t get his act together-!”

“That’s not it, Father! I have a different purpose this time!”

Realizing he might get scolded and sent away if he wasn’t careful, Oscar raised both hands to stop his father’s anger.

“What other purpose, to play with women in the capital? Stop talking nonsense and stay quietly in the duchy! Don’t go around causing trouble!”

“Father, it’s really not like that.”

Oscar pleaded with an aggrieved face. Softened by this sight, the Duchess supported her son.

“Dear, it seems Oscar has something to say, so let’s hear him out first. Our child may make mistakes sometimes, but he’s fundamentally smart and clever.”

“Father, please listen to what I have to say and then judge. Please.”

As his wife and son gave him earnest looks, the Duke’s intensity subsided. He cleared his throat loudly and nodded as if to say ‘go ahead’.

Then Oscar opened his mouth and explained what he had been planning since the hunting festival.

It was that he would marry Iris himself and fulfill the conditions of the will just like Demian.

‘It’s because I’ve been in the duchy that I lost my place to that bookish, inflexible guy. If I go up to the capital, I can definitely turn the situation around.’

The reason Oscar had stopped contacting Iris was not because he was heartbroken or had come to his senses.

He had been busy pondering alone why she had chosen Eric instead of him.

And this was the conclusion he reached.

Because he didn’t show his face and only contacted her from the duchy, Iris had fallen for Eric Roberts who was right in front of her eyes.

So if he went up to the capital and formally asked her out, he could win Iris’s heart back.

It was a thought bordering on pure delusion, but the problem was that it sounded like a plausible strategy to the Duke and Duchess.

“I see… If we can’t make those two divorce anyway, we can just have Oscar fulfill the same conditions!”

The Duke said, slapping his knee.

If the conditions for Demian and Oscar were the same, Oscar, being the eldest son and backed by the current Duke, would have a better chance.

Then the Duke’s position would naturally pass to Oscar.

The Duchess, having similar thoughts, praised Oscar endlessly.

“As expected of our son! How can you be so clever, Oscar.”

“Of course, he takes after me! Naturally!”

Seeing his parents’ positive reactions, Oscar became quite smug. By the way, he conveniently left out the fact that he had already proposed to Iris and been rejected.

Thanks to this, Oscar’s trip to the capital was quickly decided.

The day after Demian and Arasila departed for the west, Oscar headed to the capital.