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The smell of mud lingered in the air.

The military band’s trumpets and drums lay torn and scattered.

Dazzling knights in shining armor fell like ears of rice swept away by a storm. Helmet ornaments crafted for this day, each adorned with a family crest, were also covered in mud. Those unharmed had no time to help their comrades; they could only stare blankly at the sky.

The crowd that had been watching the procession shared this stunned silence, looking up in anxiety and bewilderment.

The clear sky, which should have been sunny, quickly darkened, obscuring the sun. Floating in this dark sky was something unusual, akin to a yarn ball of flowing water.

A roaring and intricately intertwining stream floated in the air, roughly forming a sphere. The spilled water had muddied the ground. At the center of this water flow floated a glossy indigo regalia staff. The Setulev Kingdom’s Regalia, the “Wisdom Eye Vortex.”

In the raging water flow, the Regalia transformed. It seemed to curl inward, expanding as if defying the laws of physics to increase its volume.

A single wing, protrusions resembling clawed hands, a flat upper jaw, a spine, and a dorsal fin appeared. It resembled a warped, small object, like the leftover parts of a dragon model with seventy percent of its components missing.

Eventually, the rain began to fall. Amidst the piercing raindrops, this otherworldly power, released from human hands, took flight. Gradually ascending, it disappeared into the distance, accompanied by the storm.

Amid the ongoing reconstruction of the Setulev Royal Palace, prominent courtiers, various nobles in the capital, or their representatives, had gathered.

The elegant wooden structure, unable to be immediately reconstructed in the damaged areas, was patched up with magically shaped rocks.

The makeshift conference room, reeking of stone, felt heavier than stone itself. It was filled with air colder than the winter wind, damper than midsummer in Setulev.

“…That is the situation that occurred in the occupied territory earlier.”

The courtier, a strategist or military staff member, along with the dwarf sporting a three-color braided beard and Baron Kajjar, spoke with faintly trembling voices as they concluded their report.

Everyone who heard it was either shocked, despairing, or both, and they were all rendered speechless.

The Regalia was ultimately just an object, an item created from the body of a dragon. Yet, strangely enough, the Regalia sometimes began to wield power as if it had its own will.

A rampage should not occur. The Regalia was the cornerstone that maintained human territories. If it started moving on its own and couldn’t fulfill its role, the place that was once a homeland would become a cursed land, and people would cease to exist.

Or, if the Regalia was recovered by Maltgartz, what would happen then? In any case, destruction awaited the Setulev Kingdom.

“Of all things, the rampage of the Regalia!”
“Were you not letting the Regalia rest!?”
“For the past eight days, it has been used only for the environmental control of the homeland! It wasn’t intentionally given a rest, but even by the operational standards of Gufare and Maltgartz, it took a longer cooldown period than the most stringent rest criteria!”

Baron Kajjar desperately defended himself against Duke Tobal’s inquiry, even though the decision wasn’t solely his.

Since it’s impossible to experiment on how to prevent a rampage, people have been restraining the Regalia’s rampage based on empirical evidence.

…Or so they thought they were restraining it.

“Furthermore, if I may add, the rerouting of the Regalia Lines is considered to impose relatively little stress on the Regalia. It’s an unprecedented situation. Please consider it that way. What should be discussed here and now are the measures to be taken.”

Having received the earlier report, King Lazarus took charge of the explanation. It seemed that even Duke Tobal couldn’t bring himself to vent his impatience on Lazarus, and indeed, the Duke withdrew gracefully.

It was a situation that required immediate action. No, it might already be too late, but as long as there was hope, they had to act urgently. Discussions about the cause and responsibility could be held later.

Times when one couldn’t remain calm were precisely when they needed to be calm.

“How is the Regalia doing now?”
“We have received reports that it began moving northeast after floating into high altitude. Initially, it was flying at roughly double the speed of a hippogriff, but it seems to be gradually slowing down after leaving the occupied territory.”
“Wait! Has it already left the occupied territory!?”
“That… is the assumption.”
“In that case, if Maltgartz could just calm the Regalia…”

The makeshift conference room erupted in commotion. A rampaging Regalia could only be pacified by another of the same kind. The Setulev Kingdom’s Regalia, the “Wisdom Eye Vortex,” being of the water element, would need to be subdued by water.

And Maltgartz possessed four powerful Regalia: one each for fire, water, earth, and air. Currently, all of them were on the eastern battlefield, being utilized in the conflict against the Gufare Union…

“Of course, this is a significant issue for the Gufare Union as well. And to resolve it, we’ll need to enlist the power of Gufare. Maltgartz’s Regalia must be pinned down entirely on the battlefield. If we allow even one to be taken out, it’s the end.”

As Lazarus spoke, he couldn’t help but realize the severity of the situation. Just when he thought the Regalia had been stolen recently, now it was an inexplicable rampage. The king might be the first one troubled by the Regalia to this extent in the history of the Setulev Kingdom— a somewhat irrelevant thought crossed his mind.

“And after buying some time, the next step is how to recover the Regalia.”

A strangely resonant voice echoed, belonging to an old man.

“Duke Foster! Do not interrupt His Majesty!”
“Also, what is with that disgraceful appearance!”

Among those gathered in the makeshift conference room, there was a sorcerer holding a large crystal ball. He was a vassal of Duke Foster.

The light emitted from the crystal ball depicted the figure of an old man, resembling a withered tree. It seemed ghostly but was an illusion replicating the appearance of someone far away.

Duke Foster Roland, the most powerful man among the nobles of the Setulev Kingdom.

While residing in his own castle, he appeared as an illusion in this gathering. To achieve such a feat, he had personally hired sorcerers, purchased items, and built a mechanism.

However, presenting oneself before the king in the form of an illusion was an unusual and almost unheard-of practice. In response to the criticism from those around him, Duke Foster humbly bowed his head.

“I apologize. However, upon hearing that the lords were gathering through the teleportation array without waiting, and considering it a matter of great importance to the country, I swallowed my pride and revealed this embarrassing form. These old bones also wish to entrust my meager knowledge to you..”
“Duke Foster. Time is of the essence. If you have something to share, please do so.”

Suppressing a sigh, Lazarus interrupted Duke Foster’s words. Handling this man was something Lazarus was particularly careful about. If neglected, things wouldn’t go smoothly, and even a little favor would be met with resistance.

Prompted by Lazarus, Duke Foster, wearing a commendable expression, stepped forward.

“I will humbly report then. There is a suitable individual for the recovery of the Regalia. Someone unbound by the shackles of state and politics, who can infiltrate anywhere, and someone who can calm the Regalia without the Regalia.”

Some looked skeptical, wondering if such a conveniently suitable person truly existed. Others seemed to immediately think of someone, displaying complex expressions.

Lazarus belonged to the latter group.

“Again… relying on them?” The words felt so heavy that they seemed to choke in his throat.

Lazarus knew he was an inadequate king. Wielding an iron fist, controlling everything in the country as he pleased—Lazarus shouldn’t and couldn’t do that. He wasn’t a military strategist like Emperor Richard, nor a diplomatic expert adept at entwining nations.

If so, to protect the people, he had to use whatever was at his disposal. Exploit it.

He felt no hesitation in that itself.

However, desperate measures often come with a price, in whatever form it may be.

“We cannot, Your Majesty. The Regalia is the very foundation of our country. …To entrust it to an entity beyond the control of the nation. This goes against the logic of the state. We must reclaim it with our own hands.”
“Indeed. We should take measures as our nation.”

In response to Duke Tobal’s remonstration, the illusion of Duke Foster nodded sagely, seeming reasonable.

Duke Tobal’s displeasure was evident.

“Leaving that aside, they… act on their own, without any regard for our nation. I, too, will not make them do anything, nor can I make them do it. To control dragons as one wishes is a fearsome thing.”

Like a philosopher or perhaps a swindler, Duke Foster spoke deceptive words.

Lazarus gritted his teeth.

While what Duke Tobal said was valid, relying on the power of the dragons posed another problem.

They will accept. And the people will rejoice and embrace it…
That’s why! That parent and child should not be made ‘Duke Foster’s possessions’!
They should not become tools for his ambition for power.

Mount Kuguse was a part of Duke Foster’s territory, and he had very direct connections with that parent and child.

Even if those dragons were to act out of a sense of duty, Duke Foster would be the one to laugh it off, increasing his political influence. This would inevitably lead to resistance. Duke Foster himself might not mind, but it would be an unfortunate situation for everyone else.

The previous king, Lazarus’ father, favored Duke Foster. …Favored was perhaps an understatement. He had been given considerable advantages.

Now that Lazarus sat on the throne and looked down from its heights, he realized that the situation was more subtly concealed but deeply and seriously problematic than he had thought during his time as a prince. Shortly after ascending, he became acutely aware of the extent of the anger that the opposing nobles had swallowed.

Roland Garktu Foster.

For the sake of this man alone, the politics of the Setulev Kingdom should not be further distorted.

For now… the dragons, who were their neighbors, must not be occupied or fought over. Neither by Duke Foster nor anyone else. After all, everything was the internal matter of the royal palace. It had to be so.

Protecting the dragons is my duty.

It should be far easier than reclaiming the Regalia. If he couldn’t even manage that, the title of king would hold no value.