Cadeon was maintaining a solemn atmosphere as he faced the crown prince.

Surely, he wouldn't propose to let Brillie join the Imperial Knights at this point.

But since he had come to meet him personally, he must be here to discuss something important.

"I believe we last met on the anniversary of the founding. What brings you here this time?"

"Duke Illenat, I know a bit about you. There's no need for us to beat around the bush and waste each other's time, is there?"

"I do prefer to be direct, but depending on the topic, perhaps some caution is needed..."

Cadeon replied as politely as he could, watching the crown prince closely.

To gradually reveal the main point while exchanging small talk—

It was a method widely used not just by himself, but by many others as well.But often enough it only wasted time, so perhaps it was better to state one's intentions from the start.

"That's true. Caution is needed... but at this moment, I want to be a little greedy."

"By greed, do you mean you have something you want from me?"

"I'll be direct. Would you consider becoming the emperor's father-in-law?"

"..."

Cadeon fell silent, recalling his original objective.

Certainly, in the beginning, he had intended to make Brillie the crown princess.

But now the situation had changed, and marriage with the crown prince would carry many burdens.

"Before anything else, there are a few things I must ask. Has His Majesty the Emperor approved of this?"

"His Majesty can be persuaded later. As long as you help, it won't be difficult."

"... That's a dangerous way of thinking."

"That's why I need your help. Once the ceremony is done, his Majesty will have no choice but to accept it."

Cadeon adopted a tense expression, unconsciously wary of the statement.

He was basically being told to hand over his already-betrothed daughter.

And to make matters worse, the crown prince was suggesting they secretly spend a night together, which could only spell disaster.

"May I ask boldly—can you handle my daughter?"

"That's the tricky part. I can't predict how your daughter might react."

"My daughter may not be the perfect noble lady, but she would never betray her principles. She would never allow such conduct while she has a fiancé."

"Which means... she might cut me down?"

Velder replied leisurely, his expression unchanged.

He was indeed curious about what choice Brillie would make if she were before him.

Surely, she would refuse him, but if he kept trying, a specific reaction was inevitable.

However, if she harmed him, the family would come under pressure, so she couldn't act rashly either.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you testing me right now?"

"Testing you? How could I possibly test you? I am negotiating with you."

"There are many ways, are there not? After you succeed to the throne, you could support House Eiliche or pressure my family. Of course, I am not sure if I'd even be alive by then..."

Cadeon was already looking ahead to a not-so-distant future.

He couldn't be openly antagonized, but if Velder became the emperor, he could stand to slander Cadeon as much as he wanted.

Of course, the more personal emotion Velder invested, the more criticism would come flying from all sides—and even the crown prince would have to endure that.

"Haha, Duke Illenat... I never said anything out loud. All I asked is that you give me your daughter."

"If that is truly what you want, why not get His Majesty's approval, first? I do not wish to become the emperor's father-in-law at the cost of insulting the Northern Grand Duke."

Cadeon had always been obsessed with the prosperity of his house, but he had never let loyalty fall out of balance.

If he were to break the engagement with the grand duke's house, he should present a proper reason and offer compensation befitting it.

But the crown prince's method was utterly malicious and would only stain the family's reputation.

"You're making things difficult. What are you so afraid of that you refuse the position of the emperor's father-in-law?"

"Should I throw away everything I have spent so long building just to become the emperor's father-in-law? What do you think His Majesty would make of that? The Northern Grand Duke would ridicule me. The other nobles would see House Illenat as diminished. And now you're telling me to simply hand over my daughter, who already has a marriage partner?"

Indeed, if he broke off the engagement, marriage to the crown prince would become somewhat easier.

But he had already made a promise with Brillie, and Alter had proven his own worth.

Above all, he found himself quite attached to the two's marriage and could no longer give it up so easily.

"Even so, as head of a ducal house, can you not persuade your own daughter? Isn't breaking off the engagement an option?"

"You know as well as I do that it's a problem before persuasion. If I break off the engagement this way, I'm the only one left in a difficult position."

"That answer sounds almost as if... you're more afraid of others than of me."

"If you had brought approval from His Majesty, my answer might have been different."

Though Velder was displeased with the answer, he couldn't bring himself to retort.

After all, he himself could not secure the emperor's permission and was trying to cajole his way through.

Besides, there was always the risk of being stripped of the title of crown prince, and Brillie could respond with resolute defiance.

In other words, lacking suitable justification, even Duke Illenat had to take a firm stance.

"... It's not that I can't understand your feelings. A single misstep and you might not become the emperor's father-in-law—and on top of that, you'd have lost your daughter. You can't make a losing trade, after all."

"With all due respect, I never intended to trade my daughter."

"You never intended to, yet you still paired her with a noble offspring under a curse? How intriguing."

"Even if you call that a trade, I have never done anything against proper form. Your Highness, I hope you understand this."

Velder immediately understood what the duke meant.

He might have been bound by desire, but he could not allow his dignity to be besmirched.

Therefore: if he was so confident, he should persuade the emperor and return.

There was no chance the current emperor would allow such conduct; wouldn't it be best for the crown prince to quietly withdraw and give up?

"Hmph... I'll come back another time, then. Perhaps a better way will present itself."

"Farewell. I pray you will find a better match."

"..."

Velder got up right away and left the parlor.

The Duke of Illenat considered the proposal without the least sign of hesitation.

Just how much did one have to keep the emperor in mind to respond so resolutely?

'How little did he think of me, to come up with something like that...'

As soon as Velder disappeared, Cadeon headed straight for his office.

He could not just leave the crown prince to his own devices—he might cause trouble.

If he were to hand over Brillie to someone like that, he would only be inviting disaster.

'Madman. Does he really expect me to turn both the emperor and the Northern Grand Duke into my enemies?'

From the start, the current emperor had indirectly pressed the nobles to further consolidate imperial power.

If the duke's daughter became crown princess under these circumstances, the foundation of the imperial family would be shaken.

On top of that, the youngest son of the grand duke's house was recovering from illness, and lately, he had even begun training as the Great Mage's disciple.

'Something disastrous might happen any moment, so... the wedding must be pushed forward.'

Having uttered such words point-blank, he could not let matters rest as they were.

Once the two were wed, even the crown prince wouldn't be able to interfere so easily.

Even Brillie couldn't outright scorn the crown prince, so she would probably have no choice but to make a reluctant decision.

'If they give me a grandchild soon after, I'd have nothing left to wish for...'

* * *

Alter was meeting Alraune in the society head's office.

Alraune seemed quite uncomfortable, while Alter maintained a calm silence.

This plunged the office into a lengthy stillness—until the silence was finally broken.

"... Have you been well?"

"I could feel something in my heart. Did you fight the Frost Witch?"

"It's a twisted curse—naturally, you'd be affected, too. Give me your hand."

Alraune took Alter's hand and conducted a simple examination.

With the curse weakened, only the barest trace of impurity could be found in the magic power within his body.

However, since the curse was intertwined with the Frost Witch, it seemed Alter had gotten caught up as well during the fight.

"I couldn't put an end to the Frost Witch. I did incinerate one of her arms, but she fled immediately."

"Will it only be over when the Frost Witch is dead?"

"As expected, the curse on you can only be lifted when the Frost Witch is annihilated. So... it cannot end this way."

Alraune stood and began walking slowly.

There was no way to exterminate the Frost Witch by ordinary means.

As long as there was snow and ice, she could regenerate endlessly and recover any lost limb.

Therefore, only after meeting certain conditions could her inevitable destruction be assured.

"I hadn't intended to resort to this... but my pride is at stake. If I don't kill her, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!"

Suppressing his inner rage, Alraune looked at Alter.

Uriel had deliberately transferred the curse to save her child.

Because of that, the curse's target and effect had become tangled, ending with Uriel alone bearing the sacrifice.

To console Uriel's soul, the Frost Witch must be punished without fail.

"I am returning to the northern region. This time, I will destroy the Frost Witch for certain!"

"Uh... won't she try to avoid you, society head?"

"She cannot evade me. To escape the inferno, she must end my life herself."

Before the Frost Witch escaped, Alraune had inscribed a semi-permanent spell on her.

That spell could only be removed by the death of either caster or target and was thus more like a curse.

Especially since the Frost Witch was directly tied to the ice element, the diametrically opposed fire attribute would act as a fatal weakness.

"Did you inscribe the spell because you couldn't kill her?"

"Shameful as it is, you're right. On my own, I could not destroy the Frost Witch. I also needed to protect Erze and the guide, so I chose to withdraw."

"Then will you go alone this time?"

"... If I am to finish it with this expedition, I will need companions. I shall bring the Sword Saint and a Holy Apostle with me."

Alraune was ready to pay any cost to exterminate the Frost Witch.

By rights, it was a matter he should have handled alone, but at this point, he couldn't stay shackled by the dignity of a Great Mage.

He had to assemble every powerful ally possible, whatever it took.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You must simply continue your magic training and wait. I will surely lift your curse."

"Uh... alright."

Alter sensed Alraune's wrath and answered cautiously.

It was likely the reason for such agitation was not just the battle, but also some other sensitive matter.

Perhaps he had learned the circumstances or reason behind his mother's death.

'Will everything really be solved just by killing the Frost Witch? Something just doesn't add up...'

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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