"Or at least they've been trying… hard to say, really."

Sael was silent, looking at Northern with a completely blank expression.

Northern had paused for the moment, his gaze drifting toward the mountain rather than continuing. Ryugan was certainly beautiful at night.

The mountainscape was illuminated by a vast radiance of light that seemed to make the mountain itself breathe—lanterns and essence-lamps scattered across its face like scattered stars brought down to earth.

"Such a beautiful nation. Small, yet meaningful."

Sael followed Northern's gaze, nodding slightly. He agreed with his words. Ryugan was a place that made it easy to feel like home.

After observing for a little longer than a minute, Sael nodded again, a small smile settling on his handsome face.

"Indeed, Lord Northern. It's a beautiful nation."

The smile left and his eyes carried a certain seriousness the next moment, shifting their focus to Northern, who was still staring down at the lights below.

"But that's not all… right, Lord Northern? There's a reason why you're telling this to me."

Northern nodded. He liked the fact that Sael was quick to catch on and preferred to be straightforward.

It saved him a lot of potentially wasted time.

"Yes. There's a reason." He turned slightly, meeting Sael's eyes. "Reimgard wants to destroy Ryugan. It's no news—they're like a dirt roach to them."

Sael nodded. "Yes, although even I hate dirt roaches. They can be quite persistent." He paused, seeming to realize he'd gone off track. "But that's not the point, haha." The awkward laugh died quickly, and he cleared his throat, composing himself. "Please, carry on, Lord Northern."

"Well, I want to protect the nation by stepping in and fighting them with all my resources. Well, not all—but with everything I am." Northern's gaze returned to the mountain. "Of course, this is just one side of my agenda…"

Sael paid close attention, carefully weighing his next words for a couple of seconds before speaking.

"Am I permitted to ask for the details of the other part of your agenda…"

Northern smiled. There was something dubious in his eyes—a gleam that suggested the answer would be interesting.

"Homecoming gift."

"Homecoming gift?" Sael's brow furrowed. He was clearly confused.

'Is the Empire his home?'

Northern looked at Sael, that ever-small smile staying in place. The wind carried strands of his hair gently across his face, and he made no move to brush them aside.

"After seventeen long years, I'll be meeting my father. Wouldn't it be brilliant of me to hand him his first major defeat as a homecoming gift?"

'I want to cause quite the spectacle. And I look forward to seeing my half-brothers and sisters too.'

Northern was going to play a vicious game with them all. But somehow he needed to find a way for the information not to reach them—that he was their brother. The element of surprise was too valuable to squander.

The only way to do that would be stopping his half-sister in Stelia from coming back home.

But she was a Luminary.

'I can give the task to Revant or Bairan… I think I'll just give it to Bairan.'

While Revant, after regaining his peak power and identity, was now stronger, he was still Revant—arrogant, uncontrollable, and dangerous. The kind of asset that could just as easily become a liability.

Bairan, on the other hand, had become too autonomous after gaining back his memories. Now Northern simply had to trust these people and hope they didn't make a decision that would jeopardize him.

'What a precarious foundation to build on.'

But regarding neutralizing his half-sister, Bairan was the best option.

Sael was still looking at Northern. His expression had gone completely lost—frozen in a pale wall of flesh as the implications settled over him.

'He is going back home after seventeen years? Does that mean he's a Prince of Reimgard? Wait, it can't be… maybe a citizen? A powerful noble from the Archduke status? But he indeed said father—that's the Emperor of Reimgard. What? The Emperor of Reimgard is his father. Lord Northern is a Reimgard Prince.

'No, no, no, this can't be. One cannot simply be this powerful and still have that end of the stick. How… how… Dear stars, weavers of fate, what exact part of the ballot got picked when you all were weaving this man's fate? He certainly was your favorite!!'

Sael's mind was raging, but outwardly he just stared at Northern, blank-eyed. Then he suddenly realized something that caused his eyes to nearly pop out of his skull.

'I am standing before a Reimgard Prince!'

Immediately, Sael dropped to one knee—in fact startling Northern himself.

"Ehh?" Northern glanced down at the man with visible shock. "What are you doing?"

Sael lowered his head. "Your Imperial Highness…"

Northern looked at Sael, somewhat flustered by the grand gesture. This was exactly the kind of thing he'd been hoping to avoid.

Sael only grew louder, his tone dripping with reverence.

"Lord Northern! No—My Lordship, sir!! One does not stand before a prince and hold them to eye-level. It is a great disaster upon the authority of the empire!"

Northern sighed, dragging his hand down his face.

"Please, Sir Sael. Get up before I change my mind."

Sael raised his head to look at Northern. "Change… your mind?"

"I will make sure you're not able to stand for a while…"

Sael laughed awkwardly, clearing his throat as he stylishly raised himself to his feet.

"Ahah, My Lordsh—" The look in Northern's eyes stopped him cold. He would have been unwise not to correct himself. "Lord Northern. Thank you for letting me know this."

Northern sighed and righted himself, standing with one hand resting on the railing of the ship.

"So, what do you say? Will you lend me you and your full capabilities?"

Sael smiled, beating his chest with conviction.

"You have all of me, Lord Northern. I will try my best to bring the Empire's armies to their knees beneath the might of my bow."

Northern chuckled.

"Well, I should also consider forging you that new bow soon."

Sael's expression exploded with happiness, restraint forgotten entirely.

"Really, Lord Northern?!!" he shouted.

Northern wanted to scold the Arrow Sage for his sudden noise but held back, saying calmly instead, "You can think about what you want and relay it to me later. For now, I must focus on someone else…"

Northern barely finished speaking when his expression changed slightly—something unbefitting of the context of their conversation. He looked irritated, like something was bothering him from elsewhere.

Then he vanished.

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