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An avalanche of emotions and thoughts exploded in Lucella’s mind.

Efrain.

He had always shown concern for ■■■■■, who struggled with socializing… a friend. Could Lucella call him a friend? At the very least, if ■■■■■ were asked to name one friend, he would likely have chosen Efrain.

After graduating from the applied school, Efrain entered a prestigious university in the former Roddil Kingdom. ■■■■■ didn’t know what happened afterward. They might never meet again, but he hoped he found happiness somewhere. If that kind of connection could be called friendship, then Efrain was ■■■■■’s friend.

And now, he stood before Lucella as a young bureaucrat entrusted with dialogue with dragons.

The first thing Lucella thought of was the meaning behind the greeting, “Nice to meet you.”

It didn’t seem like a joke, sarcasm, or mere formality.

“…Nice to meet you, I’m Lucella. Before we proceed with our conversation, I have one request. Would that be alright?”
“Yes, if it’s within my capabilities.”

Smiling and responding crisply, Lucella took out Giselle’s ring to show him.

“This ring is a magic item that grants the ability to speak Dragonian to the wearer. Please put it on and repeat the greeting you just gave in Dragonian.”
“In Dragonian…?”
“Dragonian is a language that doesn’t lend itself to lies. I want to confirm first whether you are a trustworthy individual.”

Lucella lied.

For her, probing Efrain’s inner thoughts to determine his trustworthiness wouldn’t be unnatural. However, that wasn’t her intention.

“Alright.”

Efrain hesitated for just a moment, but then, with a slightly self-conscious expression, he agreed. After putting on the ring and confirming its effects, he spoke the words in Dragonian fluently.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Efrain Kraubel, affiliated with the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Dragonian carried layered meanings, conveying not only the words’ intentions and nuances but also the thoughts behind them as resonances.

What Lucella sensed from Efrain’s words in Dragonian was confidence, pride, and a mixture of self-assuredness and eagerness.

No lies. Efrain genuinely believes what he said.

At least, he believed that this was the first meeting with Lucella.

“I see, so this is Dragonian… Err, during your Maltgartz journey, I’ve come under the Emperor’s name to serve as a guide to ensure your comfort in this foreign land. May I be of assistance to you?”

From his next words, Lucella sensed deception.

However, it was at the level of seeking means to use while claiming it’s for the benefit of the other party—a kind of “diplomatic manipulation.” It wasn’t a situation where the words themselves were outright lies or hidden hostilities behind them.

Well, that’s expected. Efrain’s role is probably just that. Bringing along companions could be used as a later move in the game, but strategizing and leveraging the situation isn’t Efrain’s job… and he probably knows that.

Efrain was currently here as a mere foot soldier following orders, understanding and accepting that role.

So, it could be that Efrain hadn’t been informed of anything, but the Empire had thoroughly investigated Lucella’s background up to the imperial era, realizing she was the same person as ■■■■■, and decided to leverage their past connection.

However, that didn’t seem advantageous.

If the Empire knew Lucella was ■■■■■, then reuniting her with Efrain as an “old friend” and using that connection would be a more beneficial approach. So, was it a coincidence?

If it wasn’t schemed by the Empire, then who could it be… an angel or a devil?

“That’s enough, thank you.”

Lucella spoke in the common tongue, concealing the turmoil within her.

“Did I pass?”
“Yes. Please take care of us during this trip.”

Taking the ring back, Lucella offered a handshake from her side.

How should I deal with this?

Behind her forced smile, Lucella was still in a state of confusion.

One thing was certain: there was now an additional eater to consume this massive dinner.

Imperial Capital, Dialmalt.

The night in this magnificent metropolis, created at the heart of the Maltgartz Empire rather than the former Maltgartz Kingdom, was, as usual, long.

The monstrously massive Imperial Palace, though externally appearing as one interconnected structure, was, in reality, composed of numerous buildings, each rivaling the size and grandeur of palaces in other nations.

Within it was the residence of the Prime Minister.

The room resembled a chamber in an art museum. On the walls, genuine paintings from renowned artists across the empire were neatly displayed. If a ≪Fireball≫ were to explode in the center of this room, the loss might amount to hundreds of thousands in gold coins.

In the midst of elegantly played music by a golem orchestra, two men sat, sipping the empire’s finest wine from the empire’s finest glasses.

On one side was Victor Dane Nicholls, Chief of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau. On the other, Manuel Weaver Gantrea, the Prime Minister of the Maltgartz Empire. Before them, a bureaucrat bowed.

“That is everything I have to report.”
“Good work.”
“You’ve worked hard. You may leave.”

The bureaucrat, who had been reporting on the situation regarding the unwelcome travelers, bowed deeply once again, then quietly left.

The “Guide” was fortunately not turned away, and the “Seventh” took their position.

Surveillance from both the front and back. While there was no power to stop the dragons when they moved, being able to quickly discern and respond to their actions was crucial. Fighting blindfolded was foolish. According to Manuel’s philosophy, battles begin with observation, and for now, the preparations were in place.

“Now, what’s our next move?”
“Of course, we could go after the Wisdom Eye Vortex. However, there’s no need to bet everything. Certainty is lacking.”

In this empire, Victor, who knew the second most classified information after Manuel, was Manuel’s most trusted confidant when it came to deciding important strategies.

When making significant decisions, Manuel often shared a drink with Victor.

The two were once comrades in arms.

Manuel once wielded a sword in his still-thick hands during his younger days. In contrast, Victor was like a sly fox, both in appearance and personality. Victor, under the command of Sir Manuel Weaver, was a magical soldier, and he became obsessed with studying magic that manipulated others’ minds. Eventually, he made significant contributions to aggressive wars through the military application of that magic.

“If we can capture the Wisdom Eye Vortex… the empire will continue to win and win. No problem at all. Fatten up the livestock before feasting on them.”
“Well then, let’s discuss what happens if things don’t go that way.”
“The immediate strategy ultimately remains unchanged. Hahahaha!”

Manuel let out a dry laugh, the kind he wouldn’t show in public.

“This time, we might be able to seize Regalia without any guilt and win the war. Those who do not fight here are dishonorable cowards. Let us pray for the valiant efforts of the loyal kingdom knights.”

It was ironic.

Currently, it was a well-known story that there was a confrontation between the Prime Minister faction and the Crown Prince faction within the Imperial Palace.

If you delved a little deeper into this situation, it could be seen as a conflict between the Prime Minister, who has built power in the conquered territories, and the Crown Prince, who was popular in the former kingdom’s territory.

The conquered territories, ruled by newly established nobles who gained titles through political maneuvering, operated in a top-down manner. At the apex of this political structure was Manuel.

On the other hand, the lords of the former kingdom’s territories, while ostensibly following the Imperial system, had a sense of pride in being former vassals. Their loyalty lay more with the Imperial family and the royals—meaning, those who were once part of the royal family. With their own histories of governing their territories in their own ways, it was not straightforward. There was also resentment towards Manuel, who gained power by leveraging Emperor Richard’s authority.

In essence, Manuel was pleased to see the weakening power of the former kingdom’s territories. Indeed, Manuel had been contemplating dividing the Empire since he saw the path to defeat due to Julian’s blunder. If he could discard the former kingdom’s territories, everything else would be under his control.

He had no problem with disturbances in the former kingdom’s territories. If it led to the exhaustion of the forces of the former kingdom’s lords, that would be even better.

“We will squeeze out every drop of oil from the lords of the former kingdom’s territories. The time to settle the score is when the dragon’s child calms the Wisdom Eye Vortex. We will go to seize it with all our power. We have seen her power in the previous battle… I would like to see it happen again.”
“Marquess Makanta was quite vocal with his complaints.”
“The counterattack on the occupied territories was something they were more enthusiastic about than I was. Complaining now about the exhaustion caused by that… it’s laughable.”

The two of them shared a sardonic smile.

The imperial lords had been providing troops for the war against the Gufare Union. Soldiers were being sent into battle in succession, and war fatigue had accumulated throughout the country. However, when the Setulev forces occupied the Angus Marquisate, one of the former kingdom’s territories, the fighting spirit of the lords from the former kingdom flared up like a raging fire. They planned a counteroffensive by deploying rested knights and soldiers from the rear and applying pressure from all directions on the occupied territory.

Despite facing the Regalia, there was only one. By avoiding the Regalia and repeatedly launching hit-and-run attacks, a small country like Setulev, lacking even enough soldiers, would eventually be unable to fight. Could the knights of Setulev’s rural areas defeat the Maltgartz knights who were battle-hardened through battle with Gufare? This was the prevailing view, and even Manuel himself considered the possibility.

However, Setulev had dispatched knights from Gufare as advisors, who analyzed the tactics of Maltgartz. In the initial stages of the war, where the Maltgartz lords were still underestimating their opponent, Setulev dealt them the most significant blow. Furthermore, a surprise attack by a Regalia user on one of the front-line bases resulted in its destruction, further dampening the momentum of the counteroffensive. Now, they were continuing attacks against the occupation forces for the sake of pride and appearance.

Amidst all this, the runaway Regalia of Setulev offered a significant opportunity to turn the tables and achieve victory. Betting everything on this battle seemed to be the only option, and for Manuel, it was a dubious gamble where the outcome wouldn’t be bad no matter which way it turned.

“Speaking of which… The ‘guide’ for the dragon group was taken care of by the Foreign Affairs Department, but I’m curious about where they found someone suitable for the job. There was talk about recruiting someone young and devoted to their work.”
“Yes. His name is Efrain Kraubel.”
“Ah, the one from the ‘Divine Blessing Oratory.’ He’s ambitious and quite capable. Individuals like him tend to work hard.”

Victor showed surprise at Manuel’s casual remark.

“You know him?”
“I approached him during his appointment. It’s standard procedure.”
“You remember him after meeting once…”
“Are you the one to say that? I only keep track of names worth remembering. That’s how I climbed the ranks.”

Manuel said with a sly grin forming at the corners of his now deeply lined mouth.

“Those who do not love will not be loved. I love those who become my strength,” He declared as he casually indulged in a pair of pastries adorned with edible gold, accompanying his wine.