Prologue
Year 1287 of the Empire, February.
Abner Territory.
“This is the final matter for today. It’s a petition from the far southeastern corner of the territory — from the Ivhill region…”
The person receiving the envelope made a strange face.
“A local orphanage? How did this end up on my desk?”
Petitions from orphanages were usually handled by local retainers.
It was practically unheard of for one to reach the lord himself — everyone knew how busy the lord of Abner was.
“It seems to be because of the seal on the envelope.”
His gaze slowly moved across the envelope.
The blue wax seal bore the symbol of House Abner — a lion.
That much was normal.
Plenty of families in the territory used the lion as their emblem.
What drew his attention, however, were the two crossed swords beneath it.
More precisely, what was faintly engraved on the blades—
‘Altus Craum.’
An ancient phrase meaning “Sacred Secret.”
“This came from an orphanage?”
The lord reached for his letter knife.
The seal’s meaning was anything but light.
An emblem inscribed with ancient words like that was something only entrusted to the most loyal of retainers — those he could trust with his life.
And this particular seal wasn’t even one he had personally given out.
“They didn’t just crudely forge a confidential seal… they even sent it directly to the main estate?”
The knife slid between the metal wax and the paper.
A thin sheet of parchment was pulled out.
To the great master of Abner, defender of the mighty Taranta Empire,
Duke Sharon Misharian Abner.
It began with a very polite greeting.
I’m Anelia from the Ivhill Orphanage.
I’m four years old, and I’m a genius.
I’m confident in magic and medicine!
I think I can be of help to House Abner.(Please turn to the next page.)
The only problem was that the handwriting looked exactly like what a three- or four-year-old might scrawl — wobbly and crooked.
