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The fast boat landing is close to the Imperial Palace. Immediately after parting ways with Ekaterina and the others, Mikhail made his way home.

Towering over the center of the imperial capital, the Imperial Palace was as beautiful as a fairy-tale castle. Its history—once a rugged military fortress, rebuilt into its current form after the Empire entered an era of stability and peace—was similar to that of Jurnova Castle, yet its architectural style was vastly different. With its numerous spires and blue roofs contrasting against white walls, the Imperial Palace resembled a graceful bird.

.

“Welcome home, Your Highness.”
“I’m back.”

It was mainly the servants assigned to Mikhail who bowed respectfully to greet him, though among them were some of his father’s personal attendants. One of them said cheerfully:

“Your Highness, Their Majesties are waiting for you. They wish to see that you have returned safely and hear about your journey.”
“I see.”

The Imperial Palace is divided into the residential quarters for the Imperial Family and the administrative district for official duties. The location where his parents were waiting was in the administrative district. He could tell that both of them had made time for him amidst their busy official schedules. That made him happy.
However, Mikhail felt a bit gloomy, as he could foresee that both his parents would likely have a voyeuristic curiosity about the “progress” made in Jurnova. Even for someone like him, born into the status of a prince with virtually no privacy, having his parents pry into his love life was, frankly, a bit much.

Yet, it was his father who had arranged this trip to Jurnova.
He hadn’t even told his parents about his feelings for Ekaterina. It was a bit of a shock that they’d seen right through him. But then again, it’s his *father* after all.
His father was the Emperor. Not one you could hide anything from.

*—Would I, too, be able to become like that someday?*

.

“Welcome back.”

In the small reception room, his parents were sitting side by side.

“I’m back.”

When Mikhail greeted them, they gestured for him to take the chair facing them. Even as his son, Mikhail was a subject to his father, the Emperor; He was not permitted to simply sit down on his own volition.

“I’m so glad to see you’re well. How was Jurnova?”

Empress Magdalena asked. Naturally expressive, she wore a radiant smile at the sight of her son’s face, which she hadn’t seen in quite some time.

“It was an enjoyable journey. Aleksei seems to be successfully consolidating his control over Jurnova. Furthermore, regardless of social standing, I sensed a deep reverence and affection for the imperial family. The people there have a serious and down-to-earth disposition.”
“That is most gratifying,”

Emperor Konstantin nodded solemnly.

“As one would expect in a land teeming with magical beasts, the people are, in a sense, quite accustomed to them. At the hunting tournament they hosted, the people treated the magical beasts no differently than ordinary game, and even the villagers from nearby who served as beaters seemed quite skilled. The Jurnova Knights’ reputation for excellence stems precisely from their practice of recruiting capable individuals from the local populace, regardless of their social standing.”

It sounded more like an inspection report than a travel anecdote, but as someone destined to become a ruler, he had been taught from a young age to pay attention to such details, so it could not be helped.

The Jurgrahn Empire was founded by the Four Founding Brothers, who unified the surrounding small nations.

The ancestors of the nation’s nobles included a diverse array of figures: the Emperor’s kin, including the Three Great Ducal Houses; vassals who had served since before the empire’s founding; and local powerful figures who had been conquered and forced to submit to the Four Brothers. There was a time when these factions repeatedly engaged in power struggles, leading to civil war.

The Empire has been stable for a long time, but that is precisely because successive emperors and the nation’s leadership have devoted themselves to maintaining the domestic balance of power.
Mikhail must carry on this legacy.

“Have you successfully completed the task my father entrusted to you?”

Mikhail nodded at Konstantin’s words.

“As His Majesty the former Emperor wished, I placed flowers at Duke Sergei’s grave. …Aleksei and Ekaterina informed me that their mother’s anniversary was approaching, and they planned to enter the mausoleum together to pay their respects, so I entrusted them with it.”

Like the imperial family’s, the mausoleums of the three great ducal houses are massive catacombs. These labyrinthine tombs, dug deep into the earth, are divided into numerous small chambers, where the heads of each generation rest alongside their families in side-by-side coffins. Aleksei and Ekaterina’s mother, Anastasia, now spends eternity with her husband, Aleksandr, from whom she had lived apart during her lifetime.

Their grandfather, Sergei, also rests in the Jurnova family mausoleum.
However, Sergei’s wife, Aleksandra, had been buried in the Imperial mausoleum at Aleksei’s request. Though Sergei had been beloved by many during his lifetime, he was now alone. The former Emperor Valentin, whom Sergei had served and regarded as an older brother, had asked Mikhail to at least offer flowers at Sergei’s grave.

Only those of the family’s bloodline and the tombkeeper are permitted to enter the mausoleum. Mikhail entrusted the flowers to this sibling as they set off to visit the grave and saw them off. Ekaterina, dressed in black and wearing a small veil, looked a little sad, yet exceptionally beautiful.

Suddenly, Mikhail smiled.

“Oh, right. I have a souvenir for you, Mother.”
“My, what could it be?”
“It’s not quite ready yet, so it might look a bit rough… Luka.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”

Calling out behind him, a young man with narrow eyes stepped forward carrying a large package. He opened it on the small table between mother and son.

“My!”
“Huh…”

What appeared, of course, was the golden horn of a Great Horned Auroch.
Magdalena marveled at its size, and even Konstantin gasped.

“It’s the horn of a magical beast I hunted in Jurnova. Apparently, the horns are usually white, but very rarely, there are individuals with this color… I was lucky enough to come across one.”
“What a huge horn! That monster must have been enormous.”

As Mikhail described the Great Horned Auroch’s size, Magdalena’s eyes welled up.

“You’ve grown so strong…”

An expert rider, Magdalena also dabbled in hunting. She could fully appreciate the danger and effort required to hunt prey of that size.
Even as Empress, she was first and foremost a mother. The image of her son when he was born, when he was just a tiny infant, was still etched in her mind. It was only natural that she would feel deeply moved to think that child had grown strong and sturdy enough to bring down such a massive game.

But Magdalena immediately broke into a mischievous smile.

“But to me? Isn’t there someone else you’d like to give it to?”
“No? I wanted to give it to you as a token of my gratitude for everything you’ve done. That’s all I could think of.”

Mikhail said, feigning ignorance.
Staring intently at her son’s face, which was smiling ever so slightly, Magdalena, having mostly figured it out, burst into laughter.

“Ho ho ho, I see! Well then, I’ll gladly accept it. I wonder where and how I should display it—what a delightful dilemma I have now.”

“I must be going,” the Empress said, rising to her feet.

“That girl is truly a good child. I’m so happy she is bringing so much joy.”

Those words likely referred to the glass pen designed by Ekaterina. The item, which Aleksei had presented as a tribute to the Emperor, had been commissioned by the Emperor as a gift for the Empress during the presentation ceremony. While this was, of course, supposed to be a secret from the Empress, it was practically an open secret—especially since Magdalena’s brother, Duke Jursein, had also placed an order and was eagerly awaiting its completion.

“I’m off to a tea party with the wives of the ambassadors from various countries. Ekaterina seemed interested in foreign cultures and trade, so I’d like to invite her sometime. I wonder if she’ll enjoy it.”
“I’m sure she’ll be delighted. Back in her domain, she did all sorts of things—like partnering with foreign trading companies and working to preserve the cultures of the ethnic minorities within her territory.”
“Oh my. That reminds me of myself back in the day.”

Magdalena chuckled and, after telling him to do his best, walked away.

.

“So, how did it go?”

Now that there’s only the male behind, his father told him to come closer.

“I believe she regards me as a good friend now.”
“That’s good to hear.”

He was met with a smug grin.
Seeing that, Mikhail felt strangely deflated and let out a sigh.

“I ran into a romantic rival in Jurnova.”
“……Did you now.”

Konstantin seemed to be waiting for him to continue. Mikhail straightened his back.

“Aleksei will likely request an audience with you soon, Father. Or perhaps he intends to mention it when he brings a gift for Mother. I’ll be present at that time as well.”
“……”

Konstantin furrowed his brow. Even he couldn’t quite grasp the connection between his rival in love and Aleksei’s request for an audience.

“Do you recall when we visited Nova during the imperial tour, and the topic of the giant dragon dwelling there came up?”
“Hm, that did happen—”

Stroking his chin, Konstantin’s eyes suddenly widened. Perhaps he had recalled the conversation that followed—how Magdalena had spoken of Sein’s dragon, saying that when it took human form, it was a woman of unparalleled beauty.
Then, what of Nova’s dragon?

Konstantin fixed his gaze on his son. Mikhail simply returned his gaze.

“Heh.”

A smile touched Konstantin’s lips. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the emperor threw back his head and burst out laughing.

“Your mother was also enamored by quite a character… but it seems Ekaterina has surpassed her.”
“What was Mother like…?”

Though he was afraid to ask, he couldn’t let the question go, and Mikhail asked timidly.

“My rival in love was the prince of a great nation that came from beyond the Summit of Gods.’”

The answer was so matter-of-fact that he was at a loss for words.

“He told her he was taking her away, and I was about to challenge him to a duel. But Magdalena herself got angry, drew her sword, and said, ‘I’ll be your opponent, so come at us both together!’ And that’s how things ended up.”
“…That’s just like Mother.”

As ridiculous as it might sound, Mikhail could picture it happening. He had to admit how amazing his mother was.

“Things like this are painful when you’re in the middle of it, but once they’re behind you, they become fond memories.”

Looking at his son, Konstantin broke into a mischievous smile.

“Well, do your best.”