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When she knocked on the office door, Aleksei’s valet Yvan opened it, and his eyes widened at the sight of Ekaterina and the girl beside her.

“My lady, are you bringing a guest today?”

As he spoke, he quickly took the baskets from both Ekaterina and Flora.

“Yes, I wanted to share lunch together. I’m sorry to intrude on your work, but would that be all right?”

Of course, Yvan wasn’t the one who could decide that, but it wouldn’t be very ladylike for her to shout into the room and ask Aleksei directly.

“Your Grace, the young lady is here. She wishes to dine with her school friend and asks whether that would be acceptable.”

Competent as ever, Yvan grasped Ekaterina’s intent perfectly and relayed it to Aleksei. His answer came back: “I don’t mind. If that’s what you want, do as you like.”

Beside Ekaterina, Flora looked around the office uneasily.

Well, naturally so—what student wouldn’t, when an executive suite fit for a trading company president and a team of senior officers (or perhaps a prefectural governor and his department heads) was somehow tucked inside the academy like a pocket dimension?
And at the center—or rather, the core—of that space, Aleksei reigned above all the dignified adults around him. To Flora, he must seem like someone from another world. He certainly didn’t look like a student.

Ekaterina, who had somewhat forcefully invited her, couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
Still, on the other hand, no other students would dare to bother them here. It was an absolutely safe place.

.

There was one more person present in the office today.
The new face was Balthazar Forli, Minister of Forestry and Agriculture. His sunburnt skin, no lighter than that of Khalil from the desert nation, testified that he knew the great forests of the Jurnova duchy by walking them himself. His hair was completely white, his face deeply lined—a man with the dignified air of an old warrior. Among Aleksei’s senior officials, he was the oldest at sixty-five, said to be the same age as Ekaterina’s grandfather Sergei and a close ally of his.

When he heard that the young lady Ekaterina had brought homemade food, he was struck speechless for a moment.

“…It feels like a different era altogether.”

Hearing him finally murmur that, Ekaterina thought:
(*So basically, you’re saying I’m the polar opposite of that awful hag—hit the nail on the head, huh?*)

The reason Forli, who rarely left his field sites, had come all the way to the imperial capital this time was to report on and discuss the appearance of a gigantic dragon—the same incident Ekaterina had once overheard.
So today’s lunch was not going to be the cheerful affair of yesterday; it would be more of a working “power lunch.” Poor Flora—sorry again.

“The dragon that was reported—I have seen it with my own eyes.”

Forli began, and both Ekaterina and Flora gasped at that.

What a hands-on, wild-life-oriented man!
In my previous life, if someone had said, “There was a bear sighting, so I went to check it out myself,” everyone would have jumped on him for being reckless. But this man had gone to confirm something far more dangerous? Wasn’t it in some remote mountain area? And he’s sixty-five! The life expectancy in this world can’t be the same as in my old one, right? Amazing.

“And what did you find?”

And Onii-sama is unfazed too! He just let it slide!

“Young Lord, it is indeed the Black Dragon. Unlike other dragons, it is the oldest of them all, known as the King of the North… No matter how skilled one may be, it is not something a human can drive away.”
“I see.”

Wait—what? That report is *so* chuunibyou! And yet, Onii-sama. you just nod with that grave, realistic face?!
And he’s called “Young Lord” by his veteran retainers? That’s moe. Wait, no, focus, girl!

“For that reason, timber extraction from the planned area will be difficult. We should either cut from another zone, wait until the dragon departs, or inform the client and cancel the order. A decision is needed quick.”

…And there goes all the fantasy flair—back to pure logistics.

“Khalil, your thoughts?”
“I recommend waiting. The client can wait half a year. If we build a new route for transport from scratch, the cost will eat away too much of our profit margin.”

Straight to the conclusion, clear reasoning, prompt answer—Khalil’s got skills.

“Forli, what do you think? Will the dragon move within half a year?”

At Aleksei’s question, Forli grimaced.

“…I cannot say. Forgive me.
The Black Dragon is said to possess intelligence surpassing that of humans. Some say it can speak human language—or even take human form.
It is also called the king of all magical beasts, said to command them at will.”

Hm?
A dragon that can command magical beasts at will?

Something about that pricked Ekaterina’s memories from her past life. She frowned and thought hard.

“I cannot prove it,” Forli went on, “but it seems to me the Black Dragon is observing our actions. In recent years, deforestation for lumber and fuel has accelerated sharply; perhaps it finds this displeasing. The rise in magical beast appearances may not be solely its doing but also a result of our encroachment on their habitats. If it shows itself merely to warn us, then waiting will not change anything. Even if we move to another area, it might appear there as well.”

Aleksei’s expression hardened.

“If the old man of the forest, Forli, says so, then taking the optimistic decision is dangerous. This is no longer just about this particular order—we must be prepared for the day the Black Dragon’s wrath finally falls upon us. When that happens, we’ll have to face it with all our might.”
“That is exactly what I fear, Young Lord.”

Whoa… This whole conversation is just, whoa.
That Black Dragon… could it be…?
I mean, it wasn’t called that in the game, but still

Isn’t that the Final Boss in the Empire Destruction Route?!
This whole ordeal wasn’t in the game—so this world actually had events like this happening behind the scenes?!

…What even *is* the relationship between the game and this world…? Like, from a developer’s standpoint… and how its programming… No, stop, don’t think about that now.

If we can resolve this situation, maybe we can prevent the Empire Destruction Flag from triggering? I’m not sure, but still…
Speaking of deforestation, something just came to mind.

Ekaterina took a deep breath and decided to speak up.