Escort

Flora had never considered anyone within the Empire to be her enemy.

But that was the helpless reality of the world.

People would secretly consider you an enemy, even a mortal one.

To be seen as an enemy by someone she knew… Flora’s heart still ached a little.

But this was probably the consequence of her own hateful, scheming actions…

Flora only hoped that in the end, it wouldn’t escalate into a major problem.

Whatever military power, whatever title, whatever status—she didn’t care about any of it.

As long as the Empire became better and better, that was all that mattered.

Therefore…

“Your Highness, I’m sorry to have worried you, but rather than using sarcasm and digging up old wounds, I believe it would be better to directly point out where the other party has been inconsiderate.”

Gazing at the golden-haired girl’s expressionless, somewhat stern face, Ryan understood just how unlikable he himself must seem on a daily basis.

“…I’m sorry.”

He also realized that his actions just now had been rather childish.

He hadn’t felt the imagined sense of satisfaction or pleasure.

Nor did he feel a sense of emptiness from his “success.”

Because this didn’t count as success at all.

Bringing up the Azure Knights and mocking the Blue Lion family could certainly provoke Stella, making her feel both grief and indignation.

But by the same token, it would also cause pain to Flora, who cared for Stella and the Blue Lion family.

It was truly a case of wounding the enemy by a thousand while suffering eight hundred in losses.

Seeing Flora’s downcast expression, Ryan didn’t want to see her in such pain.

Furthermore, this tactic reminded him of his childhood goal.

He had actually wanted to become an upright and honorable hero.

But somewhere along the way, he had gone completely astray… and become a utterly shameless person.

Not long ago, when he rescued his teacher, Fater, he thought he had changed.

Unexpectedly, he was still the same old him.

Had he unintentionally developed in the direction that old man had hoped for?

He truly was…

“Your Highness, please don’t belittle yourself. Despicable and dark methods, at the right time, can also be an excellent way to uphold justice…”

Ryan glanced up and found that she had, at some point, put on a concerned expression.

“And upright and honorable methods, if used improperly, can also harm others and mess things up…”

The cold expression from before seemed like a mere illusion.

“Neither method can represent light or darkness. The key is to adapt to the circumstances, act according to the local conditions, and find a more suitable way… while keeping a heart of light and never forgetting your original intentions.”

This was the golden-haired girl he knew.

She would sternly reprimand him when he went astray.

She would give him care and encouragement when he was feeling down.

“Yes, I understand.”

Light and shadow coexist; Ryan had always understood this.

But he was still very afraid.

Because once one becomes tainted by shadow, there is a high probability of developing a dependence on it.

Over time, one would become unable to break free, and would thus fall into a bottomless abyss.

But ironically, humans are animals who are more enthusiastic about the very things they fear.

Because only the sufficiently powerful are feared.

And power has always been something people yearn for…

But after meeting this golden-haired girl, he suddenly discovered that light… also seemed to be something that could inspire awe.

After that, Ryan’s mental state became much calmer and more harmonious.

He no longer tested or probed Stella with malicious intent.

Perhaps to show that she wouldn’t be discouraged and would persevere, Stella still did a few things to put herself in the spotlight, but the number was much smaller…

At least, Ryan no longer felt displeased by it.

This was still Flora’s achievement.

Her method was very simple: she openly asked Stella and Ryan for their thoughts, and then gave her advice.

Doing nothing was not an option.

It was thanks to her approach that the two, whose hearts were somewhat dark, did not have a falling out…

Although Ryan always felt that in Flora’s mind, he was the only one.

As for the most important matter—the threatening letter—there was strangely no follow-up.

But Ryan knew very well that no sane person would choose a foolish method like invading the residence.
So—

“Your Highness, this is too dangerous!”

In the study, Morick said anxiously.

They were discussing the escort arrangements for when the young lady of the Blue Lion family left.

Ryan planned to dispatch a seemingly appropriate number of people to escort Stella, while in reality, a larger force would follow secretly.

They would only wait for a signal to deploy an encirclement net and trap the enemy completely.

Of course, the problem with this plan was that before the search was completed and the net closed, Stella and Ryan, acting as bait, might meet with misfortune.

“It’s fine. I’ll bring the ‘Azure Charm’ with me.”

Ryan said with full confidence.

This was a barrier-type defensive magic item that he usually kept in his bedroom.

It was said to be able to withstand the simultaneous bombardment of a hundred fireballs.

Its protective range could be set from a single person to a ten-meter radius, and it had a self-recovering magic function, so it could be active twenty-four hours a day…

It could be called a national treasure.

It was a gift from that old man after his mother’s death, with the sole purpose of allowing him to protect himself…

In his early years, the old butler was responsible for it, so by the time he learned the details, he was already used to sleeping with this thing, and he never returned it.

But now, Ryan would no longer refuse things from that old man out of pride or for any other reason.

On the contrary, he would make good use of everything the old man gave him, live a better life, do a better job, and in the near future, let that old man properly enjoy the vexation of “raising a tiger to be bitten by it” and “lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.”

Setting aside these personal grudges, Ryan had learned his lesson from the insufficient preparations and lack of backup plans when he went to rescue Baron Fater.

He wanted to avoid a situation where he and his subordinates were in crisis again.

“This… I still think it’s a bit reckless.”

Morick was well aware of the power of the Sacred Radiance Amulet, but he still didn’t quite approve of Ryan putting himself in harm’s way.

“As long as we make sufficient preparations, it’s not recklessness, but calculation and outsmarting…

Besides, this time we’re only going to the branch headquarters of the Blue Lion Knights, through the passage near the Imperial City.

They can’t possibly deploy too many people. Once a battle of attrition fails, even if you are held up, the Imperial City soldiers will come.”

Except for the three knightly families, the other four knight orders could only be stationed outside the Imperial City.

The Black Dragon Knights were in the southeast, and the Blue Lion Knights were in the northwest.

And the core of the Blue Lion, the Adosagi family, liked to mingle with the soldiers, so their mansion was also built next to the knight order’s headquarters.

Ryan’s residence was built in the east…

Although this trip would not enter the Imperial City but would take the ring road, it was not very far.

In fact, it was most likely that it would all be a false alarm in the end, just a simple threatening letter.

After all, for something to happen near the Imperial City, even if they weren’t afraid of Ryan, they would certainly have to face the towering rage of that old man.

Besides, given that old man’s suspicious nature and his wariness of those around him… Ryan was but a small sorcerer in the presence of a great one by comparison.