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Translator: FusionX

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“Robert will also attend this family head meeting.”

“Understood.”

I already knew this, so I nodded my head without surprise.

There was no need to show a frivolous attitude in front of my father.

As before, since I had to obtain the position of family head, I needed to be cautious of my behavior and attitude.

There were many things that needed improvement.

The only thing that bothered me was Yuria’s change.

The last time I saw her, her hair seemed quite long.

Now it had become so short, almost like a bob cut.

The eyes that used to waver when looking at me had also disappeared, and Yuria, who briefly made eye contact with me, raised her head with an expressionless face.

I had thought she was shaken for a moment, but perhaps that was my misconception.

It was better that way.

Since I had not yet attempted anything, I hoped Yuria’s heart would remain steadfast.

Come to think of it, I thought I could now understand Theresa’s feelings.

When one thinks they have reached the highest point, witnessing the fall of Icarus who has finally plummeted… it must be quite an amusing pastime.

Father’s gaze turned to me, then soon shifted back to Yuria.

Unlike previous meetings, the topic of this family head meeting was quite important.

It was about the southern subjugation that the empire had been planning for a long time.

The south had always been a territory where different races and barbarian tribes coexisted.

It was conquered but not developed, likely for that reason.

A land filled with grass, forests, strange plants, and people.

Come to think of it, the children Adriana had been taking care of last time also had ties to the south.

Children who had escaped from becoming sacrifices and were rescued, the more I thought about it, the more I felt there was quite a significant connection between this family head meeting and the saint.

Despite that, the reason I couldn’t meet her until now was probably because she had directly heard the news through the princess.

“Robert, is this your first time attending the family head meeting?”

“Yes, I will not make any mistakes.”

“There is no room for mistakes. You won’t have many opportunities to speak there anyway. But make sure to familiarize yourself with the faces present. Those attending that meeting are all influential figures leading the empire, so it won’t hurt to know their faces.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

As I bowed my head, Father nodded as if he understood and ordered us to leave.

I had come just to hear about attending the family head meeting anyway.

Checking Yuria’s condition was merely a part of that process.

As I left the room, I felt Yuria’s gaze on me.

That gaze did not waver at all, only cold and indifferent.

I was certain that Yuria’s mindset had changed.

However, that was all.

Even if her mindset had changed, even if the cold-bloodedness she harbored had grown colder and turned into frostbite.

She was a woman I would eventually break.

“Then, I shall take my leave first.”

In the new future I would create, there was no place for a woman named Yuria Taylor.

That much was certain.

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The location where the family head meeting was held was the imperial capital.

Whether it was the ducal estate or the imperial capital, in fact, it was a distance that could be crossed by just passing a border.

Nevertheless, the difference was quite significant.

No matter how prestigious a duke’s territory was, it seemed to fall short of the emperor’s majesty.

Simply passing through a gate, the visible scenery changed drastically.

Beyond the gate made of gold and adorned with ivory and jewels, the Gate of the Sun, was the Gate of the Moon.

This time, beyond the gate decorated with platinum, the final gate to enter the capital, Eclipse, finally came into view.

Only after entering through it could one see the capital Eden, so upon seeing the abruptly changed scenery, the coachman let out a small gasp of admiration.

The vibrancy of the capital was incomparable to any other city.

No matter how much it was called the City of Light, it could not match the vitality this city exuded.

The Moon Tower I had seen last time was also located here.

The place where the saint lived, a peculiar feeling lingered, but it was not merely an impression.

If my intuition was not mistaken… we would surely encounter each other at this meeting.

Whether it was of my own will or not.

However, the main purpose was to meet the princess, so it was better to set aside thoughts about the saint for now.

After riding the carriage for quite a while, we finally arrived at the venue where the family head meeting was held.

From the outside, it looked like a forest, but it was a garden that only those with proven identities could enter.

The vine of a tree that seemed alive wriggled and moved, eventually stopping the horse from proceeding further.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a knight appeared and began verifying our identities.

The knight, whose face was completely covered by a helmet, looked at the crest engraved on the carriage and asked my father.

“Are you from the Taylor family?”

“That’s right. Could you open the gate for us?”

“…Identity confirmed. May peace be with you.”

Everything that appears in this garden changes every year.

This year, that knight always appeared, but next year, a naked barbarian might appear, and the year after that, an archer might appear.

This garden was a mystical garden that had existed since the founding of the empire.

Thus, the beings that appeared within it were all entities subservient to the spirits.

That was why even my father paid his respects.

Except for the emperor, there was no one equal to these beings.

As I stepped out of the carriage, a sensation different from ordinary grass was conveyed.

A soft and cozy feeling, as if stepping on clouds.

As water droplets floating in the air touched my body, they burst with a pop.

Yuria stared at that scene with an expressionless face, then opened her mouth while looking at Father.

“Shall I infuse mana?”

“No, there’s no need for that this year. They will appear on their own soon.”

With those words, the other side of the garden began to move.

Trees, grass, and flowers slowly moved their roots, and the forest opened up like a gate.

Literally opened up, the nobles on the opposite side were quite surprised to suddenly see each other.

Amidst this, only our side maintained composure, and Father looked at the other nobles with a contemptuous gaze.

Among these numerous nobles, the only duke was the Taylor family.

Thus, although it was called a family head meeting, the Taylor family undertook the role of presiding over it.

However, the presiding officer of this meeting was not Father.

Because the imperial family was also participating in today’s meeting.

“Her Royal Highness the Princess is entering!”

Following the shouts of the knights lined up in the empty space, gazes naturally shifted.

At the end of it was a woman, but upon seeing her appearance, the nobles each bent their knees and bowed their heads.

It was only natural.

Fluttering black hair that only the imperial family could possess, with eyes resembling the moon, that woman was indeed the most supreme being in this place.

“Thank you all for gathering. I know you are all busy with official duties, but since the topic of this family head meeting is quite important, I have also decided to participate.”

As the princess spoke, silence instantly fell upon the garden.

It was a familiar voice.

I had heard it dozens of times already, even heard that woman whisper words of love to me.

Miragen de Artin.

The woman with that name opened her mouth once more.

“Well then, let’s begin. The meeting regarding how to deal with the south, that is.”

As the princess raised her arm, a brilliant light immediately soared above the garden.

It could be called the signal flare announcing this imperial meeting.

However, my attention was not on that light but elsewhere.

It was on how to approach the princess.

There was the method of secretly approaching her like before, but it seemed quite difficult this time.

‘…It seems she has been staring this way for a while now.’

Because Yuria was paying quite a bit of attention to me.

I didn’t know why she was looking at me like that, but it was clear that Yuria’s attention was on me.

However, that didn’t mean there was no way to escape.

Since I knew well how this garden moved, I could probably easily slip away during the meeting.

Although the princess had convened this meeting, those leading the discussion were the ministers who had come with her.

Obtaining the right to speak in the princess’s name, the princess only needed to hear the conclusion of the meeting and report it to the emperor, thus ending her role.

She always disappeared midway through the meeting and wandered around this vicinity.

As I briefly made eye contact with Yuria, I smiled slightly at her gaze that soon fell.

What could she be thinking?

But that was not something for me to worry about.

What Yuria wanted was for me to interpret her true intentions, so there was no need to engage in such things.

“My stance on the south has always been the same. There is no clear solution other than subjugation, is there?”

“I agree with that. We need to deal with the barbarian tribes and different races anyway, right? On this occasion, we should drive out what needs to be driven out and develop the great forest to accommodate the different races.”

“Will you also accommodate the barbarian tribes?”

“No, they should be subjugated. In the first place, they are not a group that reveres the sun. Shamanism, there must be children that the saint rescued last time too.”

The discussion on how to deal with the south, which began with Father’s words, was progressing towards subjugation, just as I knew it would.

The subjugation of the south was a foregone conclusion.

It would only be blocked later.

The shamans living in the south were not to be taken lightly.

They used magic focused on slaughter even more than ordinary wizards, so unless they were struck down at once, it would not even amount to a meaningful subjugation.

Of course, I had no qualification to utter such words here.

Rather, I would be reprimanded for being presumptuous.

Thus, I quietly observed the progression of the discussion.

As the heat of the meeting intensified, the ministers of the imperial palace and some nobles finally began raising their voices.

“Oh my, then doesn’t that mean only the private armies of the nobles will be sacrificed!”

“Didn’t the imperial palace say they would dispatch wizards? We believe that should be sufficient.”

“The main purpose of wizards is rear support. Isn’t this an attempt to reduce the authority of the nobles on this occasion!”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

It was always a pathetic quarrel no matter when I saw it, but there was no better opportunity than now for me to conceal myself in this meeting room.

Yuria was also diligently representing the position of the nobles, so I briefly surveyed the surroundings and drew out mana.

The mystical beings in this garden reacted to the mana possessed by those who were “granted permission.”

Since even the confirmation when the carriage entered was based on Father’s mana, if I applied this, I could manipulate this garden as much as I wanted.

Quietly, the vine imbued with mana began to gradually conceal my body.

If someone saw it, it would look like I was being devoured by a tree and disappearing.

However, there was a place I could reach only by hiding my body like this.

The back of this mystical garden, where the princess was probably wandering around diligently.

Conveniently, there was a paved path, so I followed that path and looked around.

I was already prepared for what to say if I encountered her.

I could say I tried using mana and coincidentally, truly coincidentally ended up here.

This interpretation of the mystical garden was thanks to Arwen’s help.

So at this point, it was impossible for anyone other than me to freely utilize the garden.

‘Arwen’s reply should arrive soon too.’

In that case, contact with the Crown Prince had to be made before then.

I knew the kind of story that would pique the Crown Prince’s interest, so if I met the princess and exchanged a few words, I would naturally meet him.

So now I just needed to find the princess.

Suddenly, what caught my eye was a butterfly wandering around this garden.

Amidst this garden filled with green, my gaze was momentarily captivated by the lone, elegant pure white color it displayed.

Whenever it flew through the air, a golden line danced as if it were painting.

Realizing from that sight, the butterfly was not a being of this place.

“Holy power…?”

No living creature could exist within here.

Even the knight I saw earlier and these trees were ultimately created by spirits.

However, that butterfly was moving of its own will.

As I gazed at the light embracing the sky, I then shot mana towards the butterfly.

With a pop sound, the butterfly that collided with the mana staggered for a moment.

Then the aimlessly wandering butterfly began to circle around me.

As if trying to discern my identity, a sudden thought occurred to me, and I muttered blankly.

“It can’t be… Adriana. No way.”

At that, the butterfly’s movement stopped, and its fluttering body slowly dispersed.

Transforming from something with form into light, and then into a light condensed with holy power, that light whispered to me.

Literally, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

“Could it be… Lord Taylor?”

It was a well-known voice.

Of course it was.

It was such a gentle and soft voice that I could immediately identify it upon hearing it.

It was just quite unexpected to hear it in this place.

Quickly regaining my senses, I opened my mouth towards the light lingering in the air.

“Is that you, Saint? I didn’t hear that you would be participating in the meeting.”

“Actually, I was looking for Miragen. I thought she would be around here.”

“Is that so? I was also looking for Her Highness the Princess.”

When I asked if she knew where the princess was, Adriana instead exclaimed in a delighted voice, saying it was perfect timing.

“Ah, is that so? Then I will separately inform Miragen, so could you come to the Moon Tower a bit later?”

“Am I allowed to enter the Moon Tower?”

“It should be fine if I say I’m letting you in. And I also have something to say to Lord Taylor regarding the south.”

I nodded my head at her slightly serious voice.

The topic of the south was quite a sensitive one for Adriana.

She would probably discuss it with me in private or in the presence of the princess.

It was even better.

There would be many opportunities to converse with the princess.

As I turned my head, I saw a large tower visible beyond the garden.

A tower that was noticeably closer than the one I had seen during the last full moon festival.

Going there wasn’t a problem, but wasn’t it quite sudden?

However, I couldn’t refuse to go.

I couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet both the saint and the princess at the same time.

I had considered various possibilities, but in the end, I met the saint again.

Now that it had come to this, it would be better to slightly adjust my thoughts.

It seemed certain that there was a connection between Saint Adriana and me.

At least in this life.

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