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“Sir Forli, please—do not do anything dangerous. Do not approach the crater under any circumstances. Once you have confirmed the conditions in the surrounding area, please return. Even if there are no signs of an eruption, something could suddenly happen. Please, take the utmost care of yourself.”
“Milady, there is no need for you to worry so much over an old man such as myself.”

As Ekaterina pressed the point almost insistently, Forli replied with a gentle smile on his sun-darkened face.

“I understand perfectly that our purpose this time is simply to grasp the current situation. I will not pursue matters recklessly.”
“Indeed… it is presumptuous of me to worry over you so. Please forgive me. Nevertheless, you are an irreplaceable presence to my brother, Sir Forli.”

To Onii-sama, our grandfather was an unchanging compass and ideal. And Forli, as Grandfather’s close friend, holds a special place.
Even in my previous life, where science had been far more advanced than in the Empire, I remembered that a married couple who were world-famous volcanologists had lost their lives during an eruption in Kyushu. Disasters come unexpectedly, and when they do, they come without mercy.

“Your concern is far too kind. However, the one His Grace cherishes most is you, Milady. Please return as quickly as possible and show him your safe face.”

That’s right—Onii-sama is a siscon, after all.
Still, I noted that Forli had completely switched to calling him “His Grace.” He used to be the only one who called him “Young Lord.” I had found that rather endearing.
But from Forli’s perspective, it must mean Onii-sama had grown more reliable. That was something to be glad about.

Even so, was it really all right for someone with “Director” in their title—Director of Forestry and Agriculture—to be roaming around the front lines of the wilderness like this?
Apparently, the actual administrative work of the Forestry and Agriculture Office had been almost entirely delegated to the deputy director. In fact, Grandfather had wanted to appoint the deputy director as head in the first place, but his low status would have invited fierce opposition and hardship. So instead, he placed Forli—born to a marquis’s house, beyond reproach in rank—at the top, creating a structure in which the deputy could work freely.
Thus, even if Forli wandered the domain like the retired elder of a classic period drama from my previous life, things ran smoothly. This system had been in place for a long time, and the deputy director being the de facto leader had become the norm. Forli was thinking it might be time to step down and formally hand over the position—but the deputy vehemently opposed it.

*“The real authority is mine, while all responsibility falls on you. There’s no way I’m giving up such a sweet position.”*

Hey now, brutally honest—but understandable. My former corporate slave self agreed wholeheartedly!
Given how cunning Grandfather was, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had coaxed Forli into accepting the post by calling it “just a figurehead.” While it wasn’t a lie that he wanted to appoint the deputy, this current structure was likely the very best arrangement he had envisioned. After all, Forli embodied what mattered to Jurnova: love for nature and a willingness to act personally without hiding behind status.

As for the mountain temple priest accompanying Forli on the volcanic survey, it was decided on the spot: it would be the young priest who had sprinted off to fetch maps and oracle records the moment the descent ended.
He was strong, attentive, and, upon speaking with him, surprisingly knowledgeable. He even understood the dangers of volcanic gases. While the concepts weren’t formally defined or named—more an experiential understanding that volcanoes sometimes exhaled invisible poison that could accumulate—such knowledge was more than sufficient for this era.

“Sir Forli possesses wind magic. If you must enter a place where the air is stagnant, please be sure to have him summon the wind and drive away any poison. Please, be careful.”
“Th-thank you very much. I will do everything I can to protect Sir Forli’s safety.”
“Thank you. And you too—please return in good health.”

The young priest blushed bright red at Ekaterina’s smile, while Forli watched him with an expression somewhere between amusement and sympathy.

.

Even on a hurried journey, preparation was essential. Especially for Forli and the priest, who needed maps and information on villages around the volcano—materials held not by the mountain temple, but by administrative offices.
While arrangements and preparations were underway, Ekaterina took the opportunity to bid farewell properly. She shared lunch with Forli, Isaac, and Aaron.
Though the age gap among them was considerable, the conversation was lively and enjoyable. She listened in amazement to stories Forli and Isaac told about her grandfather Sergei, learned that Aaron and Forli’s deputy were close, and enjoyed her exchanges with Isaac—admiring the long road that had led him to establish the theory of the rainbow-stone magic circle, and being praised by him in turn for ideas she had shared based on Forli’s talk of reforestation.

“It was nothing more than a passing thought. To be praised so highly by you, Great-Uncle, is quite embarrassing.”
“I could never come up with something like that. You’re a clever one, Ekaterina. Are you close with Aleksei?”
“Yes! My brother is always very kind to me!”

Ekaterina clenched her fist unconsciously as she declared this, prompting laughter from everyone.

“My brother was always kind as well. Seeing how you and Aleksei each resemble him in your own ways makes me happy. I look forward to the day we meet again in the capital.”

.

And at last, Ekaterina set out on her return journey.

The carriage moved forward under the protection of six knights. As on the way there, it was called a forced march, yet proceeded at a relaxed pace.
Leaving the old mine behind, the highway entered the forest. Winding through the dense, dark woods, the road stretched on toward the northern capital.
They hurried, but did not overstrain. They lodged before nightfall, rose at dawn, and departed early.

Near the edge of the Great King Bees’ territory, just before the Forest of the Forest Folk, they stopped by a spring near the road to let the horses rest, drink, and graze. Ekaterina spent the time playing with the hunting dogs, Regina and the others—laughing as brushing pulled out alarming amounts of fur, or having Mina throw branches for the dogs to fetch. Mina did the throwing because when Ekaterina tried, the distance was simply laughable.
Then suddenly, Regina pressed her large body against Ekaterina.

“Why, Regina—what’s wrong?”

As she stroked her, Ekaterina noticed it.
Regina’s fur was standing on end.
The other hunting dogs gathered, growling low in their throats or pacing restlessly. Realizing they were all staring at the same point, Ekaterina followed their gaze.

A large black bird perched on a tree branch.

Its entire body was black like a crow’s, but its shape was closer to that of a bird of prey. A hawk, perhaps. Or an eagle.
A black bird of prey…

“Milady!”

Mina ran over, stepping protectively between Ekaterina and the bird.

“Please return to the carriage. That bird—something’s wrong about it. Its presence feels wrong.”
“I understand.”

At the same moment Ekaterina nodded, the black bird spread its wings with a heavy flap and took off.
Still shielding Ekaterina as she watched it go, Mina said in a tense voice,

“Milady, that wasn’t an ordinary bird.”
“Yes… that was the bird Sir Forli once told us.”

The Dragontell Bird.
A subordinate—or perhaps an avatar—of the Black Dragon. A scout-like being that conveyed what it saw and heard back to the Black Dragon.

And just as Ekaterina thought that—
The clear sky darkened.