REFDL 22

Tortan smiled contentedly and gestured toward the inner part of the reception room.

“Come in. Even if it weren’t for that matter, there’s much we need to discuss.”

“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold… Might I take my leave now? I have an overwhelming amount of work piled up…”

“Ah, Nitan. Do so.”

“And speaking of which, about that manpower recruitment I mentioned last time…”

“You must be busy. Go now. It was good to see you!”

Thud.

The door closed.

“……”

Nitan, who had harbored an impious thought, trudged back the way he came.

At the end of the corridor.

His expression changed as he rounded the corner.

He felt anxious and restless as he quickly left the palace grounds.

He rapidly ran through the tasks ahead in his mind.

He repeated them over and over. There could be no mistakes.

What he was about to do… could potentially be an act that touched the emperor’s reverse scale, an emperor so magnanimous that he dismissed even irreverent remarks if they came from favored subordinates……

‘No.’

There was no denying it, that was exactly what it was!

Nitan felt a pang of sorrow.

‘What sin did I commit in a past life…’

His face twisted in despair as he headed for the inn where his party was staying.

His heart pounded like it had gone mad

* * *

The door to the reception room closed.

After confirming the sound-blocking magic engraved on the door was functioning normally, Kaelus asked abruptly.

“What about Denos?”

Though his words were excessively rude for addressing an emperor, Tortan didn’t care this time either. Instead, he shrugged with a noticeably more relaxed demeanor.

“Same as ever. They claim they knew nothing about it and insist it was something the Sixth Prince did on his own.”

“……”

“They say they’ll send envoys for my birthday celebration. Perhaps we can discuss the Sixth Prince’s punishment then?”

For reference, Denos’ Sixth Prince is currently sixteen years old. Born to a slave, he became a cripple after suffering a fever in childhood.

Kaelus’ face stiffened in disgust.

Tortan sipped the tea that had been prepared in advance.

The cooled tea had a faint, grassy, musty scent.

No matter how expensive the tea leaves, it was always the same.

‘If you miss the right moment to drink it, this is what happens.’

He should have ended the civil war sooner and destroyed Denos.

Even knowing that was the best choice at the time, he sometimes lament the debt he incurred in the past.

‘Anyway, Denos’ scheme is too obvious.’

They would drag out empty discussions endlessly, then pretend to be generous by tossing in the Sixth Prince to wrap things up.

Of course, if they really tried to get away with just that, Firmus side’s backlash would be fierce, so they would offer some appropriate compensation.

“This is a matter of feelings and pride.”

“…….”

“Who would benefit from ending it so mildly?”

“Tortan.”

“I know.”

But it mustn’t escalate to war.

Both Kaelus and Tortan understood that.

Tortan, who had been snickering, wiped the smile from his face. He already looked like he had a headache.

“Haah. This is why you shouldn’t live too kindly. It makes you look easy to push around. Why must I suffer this pain by being so un-emperor-like and kind….”

Kaelus thought that wasn’t quite right, but he didn’t say it. Getting caught up in nitpicking would only be exhausting.

Instead, he changed the subject.

“What about the treasure?”

“Still nothing. Not even a trace.”

Kaelus’s expression turned grave.

Two months prior.

The most precious treasure of the Firmus imperial family , the ‘Necklace of the Founding Emperor’, had vanished.

Tortan and Kaelus only realized this belatedly.

The report stated there were absolutely no signs of intrusion.

Considering the gravity and potential repercussions of the matter, they immediately launched a massive, top-secret investigation and search operation behind the scenes.

After days and nights of exhausting mages to trace its path, they barely managed to estimate the date the necklace vanished.

“……”

It was during the time they were wandering in the Sea of Trees, following Tortan’s unreasonable demand….or rather, order to ‘at least try taming a Kremlis’.

More precisely, it was around the time their group discovered the Kremlis’ nest.

‘A coincidence, perhaps, but a rather exquisite one.’

That very necklace was a sacred artifact, said to have been crafted from the heart of Julan, the Kremlis dragon friend and soulmate to the late founding emperor.

According to one account, after the founding emperor’s death, Julan personally removed his heart and presented it to the succeeding emperor, saying:

[To dear Firmus, infinite prosperity and peace. You shall receive the dragon’s love for generations.]

Tortan thought it plausible. He shared this thought with Kaelus, who was also young at the time.

‘…….’

‘Uh. No. Listen. I’m telling you, it really makes sense!’

For starters, the necklace itself was no ordinary object.

It did look like a gemstone.

‘If you listen closely, you can faintly hear a pulsing sound! Of course, it might just have been my own heartbeat because it was so quiet around us.’

‘……Any other evidence?’

To the unimpressed Kaelus, Tortan grinned.

‘Just look at Denos.’

He was referring to the neighboring country that, despite trying hundreds of years longer than Firmus, had ultimately failed to properly tame a single dragon.

All they could command were ‘Knum’ to replace pack animals and ‘Batu’ only useful in quarries. Even commanding Batu was an achievement they’d only recently managed.

Their numbers were also meager.

In contrast, Firmus had already tamed over eight species of dragons, boasting ten castles with large breeding grounds.

‘I’m not trying to belittle the wisdom our ancestors accumulated over long ages, including the ‘Artifact Processing Method’ the mages finally grasped through relentless effort.’

It’s just…

‘The necklace’s blessing also played a meaningful role!’

…But after a certain incident. Tortan never once mentioned anything like that to Kaelus again.

Dispelling the rusted memories, Tortan continued.

“We’re still searching, but I’m skeptical. No matter how I think about it, the mages’ words seem right.”

“You mean that absurd claim that the necklace just evaporated for no reason?”

“Yes.”

Kaelus suppressed his rising anger as he spoke.

“Are you out of your mind?”

He was slightly less restrained.

Even so, Tortan remained calm.

“Yes. I made them swear on mana and asked again.”

“……”

The statement hadn’t changed.

Kaelus was lost in thought, his expression grave.

Tortan pushed his teacup aside and picked up a cookie sitting next to it.

Then, in a matter-of-fact tone, he said.

“I didn’t just blindly believe it. But you know, I saw something.”

He wiggled the cookie toward Kaelus.

“More accurately, we saw something.”

“…….”

Kaelus understood what Tortan was implying.

It was a secret known only to the two of them.

Back when the emperor and the duke were still young.

There had been a time when he’d reluctantly gone along with Tortan’s stubborn insistence. …It wasn’t just once or twice, but that day was special. 

It was the day scheduled to replace several old security artifacts within the imperial palace.

Having overheard the schedule known only to a select few, Tortan decided to sneak into the imperial vault.

Kaelus tried to talk him out of it until the very last moment, but got dragged into it. As always.

Anyway, the plan was sloppy, but thanks to his status as a prince and a few coincidences, the two managed to enter the vault safely.

And there, they witnessed it.

The necklace reacting to Kaelus.

There was no mistake. He hadn’t seen wrong.

The gem that was once Julan’s heart extended a cluster of multicolored light toward Kaelus.

Kaelus, as if spellbound, reached out with a dazed expression.

The necklace, as if it had been waiting, emitted an even brighter light, yet simultaneously blurred as if it might vanish at any moment.

So much so that the stand it had been hanging on became clearly visible.

Startled, Tortan moved reflexively. In that moment, his only thought was to stop whatever it was.

He lunged forward, quickly grabbing Kaelus’s hand and simultaneously snatching the boy’s smaller body up, moving him backward.

As the physical distance grew, the light cluster rapidly faded.

Kaelus snapped back to his senses. Though bewildered, his confusion settled faster than he expected, as if nothing had happened.

Only the faint magical light swayed slowly.

Tap.

Then, footsteps approached from outside.

The two boys exchanged a quiet glance.

And without hesitation, they quickly slipped away from that place.