Chapter 87
Inside Count Zamel’s Office.
Count Zamel’s eyes widened as he read the letter that had arrived from the Grand Duke’s household.
“Send a petition to the Imperial Palace?”
The letter instructed him to write a petition to the Emperor expressing dissatisfaction with the current situation.
“A petition, huh…”
Lately, things had been difficult on many fronts.
The ducal house no longer moved unless they were paid upfront.
In the past, they had accepted requests first and received payment later, but their attitude had changed completely.
Now, after receiving a request, they assessed the difficulty and proposed a price. Once the payment was made, their knights would take action.
The expenses were not insignificant.
In the case of magical beasts, they demanded even higher compensation than for regular monsters.
Because of this, household expenditures—aside from operational costs—had grown considerably. The main reason was that business operations were not as smooth as they once were.
“It’s all because of that damned Black Pearl trading company.”
A few years ago, a merchant group called Black Pearl had rapidly risen in prominence, increasing its market share to the point that small and mid-sized merchants could no longer compete.
Their product quality and delivery efficiency were overwhelmingly superior.
They even had strong private security, allowing them to make safe deliveries to remote mountainous regions—so naturally, clients preferred them.
On top of that, their health supplement and cosmetics businesses were booming. Every time they succeeded, Count Zamel seethed with jealousy.
“I’ve become like a frog in a well.”
Unable to make any impact beyond his own little sphere.
Just then, a letter from the Grand Duke arrived, offering help—if only he would send a petition.
Without hesitation, Count Zamel wrote the petition, claiming that the Cartellani Duchy’s tyranny had caused him great harm through losses from monsters and magical beasts. He exaggerated his grievances as much as possible.
Inside the Emperor’s Office, in the Adelheit Imperial Palace.
The Emperor looked up from the petition that had come from the North and turned to his aide, Raven.
“Raven, what do you make of this?”
Raven took the document from the Emperor and, after reading it, chuckled softly.
“It seems they’re asking for help, Your Majesty.”
“Do you think Duke Cartellani is truly as oppressive as they claim?”
“The Duke is young. Youth can sometimes lead to rashness.”
“So, you think it’s worth sending someone to investigate.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then you’ll go yourself.”
Raven blinked in surprise.
“Me, personally?”
“Yes.”
“Who will assist Your Majesty while I’m gone?”
“I can still handle matters without you, you know.”
The Emperor guessed what was troubling him.
“If it’s the Grand Duchess you’re worried about, don’t be. You think I can’t handle one woman?”
“…”
“That’s an imperial command.”
Hearing that, Raven had no choice but to obey.
“May I choose my own attendants?”
“The Grand Duchess might suggest Count Bilaf as your escort.”
“The Grand Duchess?”
“She visited yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
“She said she was worried about the North and came to inform me.”
Raven’s eyes sharpened.
“So it could be that the Grand Duchess was the one who pushed Count Zamel to send this petition.”
“It seems she has quite a grudge against the North.”
“Then, Your Majesty, could Prince Noah be in danger?”
The Emperor waved his hand.
“Don’t worry. The Duke sent me a letter a few days ago.”
“A letter?”
“He said Noah will be staying for a while on Luminere Island.”
Raven’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“Could the Grand Duchess have discovered Prince Noah’s whereabouts?”
“Perhaps. Her sudden interest in the North could mean that—but it’s unclear.”
“She might send someone to confirm it.”
“That’s why I’m sending you. You’ll make sure Count Bilaf doesn’t try anything foolish.”
“Must Count Bilaf go?”
“If he doesn’t, it would look suspicious.”
Indeed, the Grand Duchess was the type of woman who would notice.
“It seems I’ll bear a heavy responsibility.”
“Aside from Count Bilaf, you may select your team as you wish.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And whatever happens, do not mention Noah.”
“Of course.”
The fact that Noah was in the North had to remain secret—at least until his coming-of-age ceremony.
If the Grand Duchess found out, she would not leave him alone. She had once manipulated Empress Marianne to plot against him, nearly costing Noah his life.
The Emperor knew that Noah’s illness afterward had been no accident.
Thankfully, since moving North, Noah had grown healthier and even started learning swordsmanship.
The Emperor was relieved—though he did not yet know that Noah had awakened the Blessing of the Sun. That secret was carefully kept by both Duke Cartellani and Elia.
In Duke Alexis Cartellani’s Office.
Alexis received a letter directly from the Emperor.
He regularly corresponded with His Majesty regarding Noah’s situation.
But this time, the tone of the message was different.
“The Imperial Family is sending an official Mediator?”
Mediators were officials who resolved conflicts or adjusted power balances among nobles.
The reason for this visit was Count Zamel’s petition. The letter stated that the Emperor was dispatching a mediator in response.
“A petition, again…”
He remembered how Count Zamel had once treated the ducal house with contempt—requesting aid and then lying to delay payment.
When it became clear that Zamel had no intention of paying at all, the trust between their houses was broken.
Elia had chastised him for it.
“Once someone looks down on you, they’ll never stop unless you show them otherwise,” she had said.
So, following her advice, Alexis decided to teach the count a lesson.
“And just as Elia said, his attitude changed.”
After expressing his displeasure, Alexis refused all further requests from Count Zamel, stating that repeated lies about payments made him unreliable.
Not long after, the count sent pleading letters—but Alexis ignored them.
Eventually, the man came in person to beg.
As Elia advised, Alexis greeted him with arrogance.
He suggested rewriting the contract: payment first, request after.
After hesitating, Zamel agreed—and Alexis also added a clause for additional fees depending on difficulty, especially for unpredictable magical beasts.
After some reluctance, the count signed. Alexis took the payment first, then acted.
That winter, monster raids had been severe, and many villages in Zamel’s domain lay in ruins.
Elia had told Alexis not to feel guilty—it was the lord’s failure, not his.
After that, Alexis continued to fulfill Zamel’s requests fairly.
And yet now, the man had sent a petition to the Emperor.
“So this is what betrayal feels like. Elia will be furious when she hears.”
He realized he had underestimated Count Zamel.
“To send Raven as the mediator… What could His Majesty be planning?”
Raven was the Emperor’s closest aide—his most trusted confidant.
For the Emperor to send such a man meant this was no ordinary affair.
“There must be more to this.”
He decided to investigate why Count Zamel had sent the petition in the first place.
After placing the letter in his desk drawer, Alexis took out a communication orb and contacted Lapis.
“What can I do for you, my lord?”
“Count Zamel seems to have sent a petition to His Majesty.”
“Count Zamel?”
“Yes. A mediator is being dispatched.”
“If a mediator is coming, that means…”
“They intend to ‘settle’ some sort of dispute between our houses.”
“But there isn’t any dispute, is there?”
“Not on my end—but apparently, Zamel thinks otherwise.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you.”
After ending the call, Alexis looked up to see Norman silently approaching.
“Something troubling you, my lord?”
Alexis replied with a serious expression.
