/
Fortunately, there was no need to lie in various ways, so Siervian was relieved.
“Come on! Cheer up!”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Marco replied, his face showing signs of improvement.
‘He’s in this state… poor guy, no, poor Marco…’
Unaware of his own expression, he constantly received comfort from the young princess. Gazing pitifully at her like how he gazed at the mage Tanca, Marco reaffirmed his loyalty.
* * *
For the next few weeks, Siervian was incredibly busy.
Of course, it wasn’t because she was attending extravagant balls or similar events. She was busy in a different sense, as she was still too young to make her formal debut in the Empire.
“Are you going to the granary region today?”
“Yes!”
With excitement in her heart, Siervian nodded at Damian. After dealing with the con artists, she had been preoccupied with stabilizing the mercenary guild’s branch. New managers needed to be appointed, and, above all, understanding the current situation accurately was crucial.
Because of this, she had no time to indulge in leisure activities, which left her feeling constantly unsatisfied. That was before the King of Mosae mentioned a place to be visited.
“It must be a really nice place.”
Why would the King insist on the granary region if it wasn’t remarkable? Such thoughts prompted Siervian to inform the Mosae Kingdom of her destination for today.
“Yes, the King brought it up again yesterday.”
“That’s right. Maybe we should invite Prince Abrel to come along.”
Siervian had spent time with Prince Abrel on several occasions since then. Although due to her busy schedule, they had only managed to have a few meals together within the royal palace.
“…Prince again?”
Unlike Siervian, Damian had been caught up in an extremely busy schedule. He was constantly invited to parties and had to attend negotiations to ensure progress.
In high society, formal debut usually took place at the age of fourteen, and participation in official events began around the age of twelve. However, due to his status as a prince, Damian had been participating in such formal events for a long time.
Still, such a tightly packed schedule seemed burdensome for someone so young.
[Damian Elverdotte]
Thoughts: I want to play with Siervian, too! …I can’t let her keep meeting the prince either.
Externally, Damian seemed deeply engrossed in his serious concerns, causing the knight by his side to tense up unconsciously.
“I’ll go with you today.”
Thanks to that statement, Siervian was able to skillfully avoid a problem and asked a question.
“Really? Is your schedule fine for today?”
“…Today, there are only tasks that I don’t need to be present for.”
Observing the knight’s inner thoughts standing beside him, it was clear that what he said wasn’t true. Nevertheless, Siervian simply nodded her head.
It was so great to be able to play with her brother.
“Yes, let’s go!”
With the Crown Prince joining them, their preparations became even faster. The attendants provided by the Mosae Kingdom quickly prepared a carriage for them.
As it was not an official event, they traveled in a carriage that exuded the distinctive style of the Mosae Kingdom.
The carriage had intricate patterns carved on its surface and was adorned with gold, giving it a splendid appearance.
“Do you like the carriage?”
“Hmm…”
Damian was sitting next to her instead of on a horse and asked her.
As Siervian pondered for a moment, she quickly whispered in her brother’s ear, “Actually, it’s too extravagant, and it scares me.”
“What’s wrong with that? Haha.”
Her brother burst into laughter at her unexpected remark.
Siervian was cautious, fearing that the attendants outside might hear her brother’s laughter.
“Hmm, luxury is indeed intimidating.”
She knew the Empire citizens wouldn’t throw stones at her again like before for being extravagant. However, deeply ingrained events and habits couldn’t be easily changed.
Unlike the Empire, which was surrounded by mountains, the Mosae Kingdom had a predominantly flat landscape no matter where they looked.
As they left the palace and the capital, buildings became scarce in no time. Instead, vast fields of wheat gradually filled the landscape.
“Brother, look! It’s all wheat!”
“That’s right.”
It was the first time she had ever seen such a wide area in her field of vision. The landscape seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction, creating the illusion of it soaring into the sky.
“Your Highnesses, we are about to arrive.”
“Understood.”
While they were engrossed in conversation, the attendants from the Mosae Kingdom informed them that they had arrived at the renowned granary region.
The carriage, which had been racing through the fields of wheat without rest, came to a stop at a specific location. The wheat had grown so tall that it reached the height of an adult’s head.
“Your Highnesses, please follow me this way.”
The Mosae Kingdom attendant led them to a small tower-like structure on one side of the landscape.
It seemed to be a place intended for gazing out over the field.
To increase the harvest, there were minimal paths for people to walk through the wheat fields.
Thanks to that, Siervian could enjoy the feeling of being in a maze as she passed through the wheat fields, which had grown far higher than her own height.
The sun, filtering through the gaps, created shimmering lights among the swaying grass.
“If you had come during the harvest season, you would have seen a golden field, it’s a bit regrettable now.”
“It’s beautiful even now.”
“Haha. It’s our kingdom’s pride.”
The place the attendants guided them to was a simple tower made of wood, but the scenery changed dramatically after climbing a few steps.
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If exploring the wheat fields gave her the feeling of being inside a maze, now it felt like she was looking upon a sea of wheat.
“It looks like the sea!”
“Haha. Soon, let’s go to see the real sea.”
“Look over there! I can see the desert!”
When she cast her gaze further, beyond the wheat fields on this side, she saw a vast desert-like terrain in the opposite direction.
‘Once we cross that desert, we’ll reach Garambell.’
She was amazed that the King could make a landscape with such a vivid harmony between the desert and the wheat field.
[Adante Roid]
Thoughts: This terrain is not suitable for security.
However, the thoughts of the knights who always followed her seemed somewhat different.
Seeing Roid’s concern, she thought he was truly dedicated to his job.
However, It was a place directly guided by the Mosae Kingdom. It was also a granary region managed very strictly.
So, it seemed unlikely that there would be anyone threatening them here.
As she enjoyed the vast field of green wheat with a light heart.
‘Huh? …Huh?’
Suddenly, a status window was seen from a certain spot in the wheat field.
[Sarja]
Occupation: Assassin (Lv. 95)
Mood: Caution.
Thoughts: The target has arrived.
‘What?’
“Siervy, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Siervian couldn’t hide her momentary surprise upon discovering such an unexpected fact.
As she acted strangely, Damian tilted his head in confusion.
Despite her flustered state, she pretended as if nothing was wrong and looked around casually.
“The wheat field is so… beautiful!”
“Indeed.”
‘Where was that person?’
The status window appeared and disappeared in an instant.
She couldn’t keep her gaze fixed on a specific location.
At first glance, the wheat field appeared peaceful, to the point where it was unimaginable for someone to be hiding there.
‘Where is that person?’
“Siervy, it’s dangerous if you do that.”
She had grabbed the railing and stretched her head, but Damian warned her.
While stepping back, she steadfastly scanned the wheat field.
And then, a chilling scene unfolded.
‘Assassins… ten of them!’
With the determination to check the status window, she could easily identify their locations.
The assassins were strategically positioned throughout the field, skillfully concealing themselves.
Moreover, each of them had a remarkably high level.
“Your Highness, I hope you enjoyed the scenery.”
A calm voice was heard from beside her. She reflexively turned her gaze towards the Mosae Kingdom’s attendant who had led them.
‘This person isn’t involved.’
He only seemed to take pride in showcasing the beauty of his homeland’s landscapes. He wasn’t tense, and above all, his favorability wasn’t bad.
[Sarja]
Occupation: Assassin (Lv. 95)
Thoughts: When the target emerges from the tower, I will initiate action.
Glancing at the assassins again, her mind raced so fast that she felt dizzy.
What on earth was happening?
The fact that King Mosae had recommended this place twice was particularly unsettling.
‘Could it be that King Mosae arranged all this?’
“Shall we move on to the next location?”
“Wait a moment.”
If what she observed was correct, the assassins would act as soon as they left the tower.
‘There’s a possibility that Roid and the four knights might get hurt.’
The attendants they brought along were not few in number.
However, the excessively high level of the assassins troubled her.
Furthermore, the attendants from the Mosae Kingdom were nobles, not knights or mages.
[Sarja]
Thoughts: The top priority target is the princess… If not feasible, eliminate both.
Since earlier, she had been primarily focused on the highest-level assassin. It was because he seemed to convey orders to the nearby assassins, as if speaking to them through his thoughts.
She couldn’t hide her wavering gaze as she reviewed the recent information.
The fact that their highest priority target was herself… Why?