By Zephyria 
Why was Duke Widrow looking for me? It was utterly baffling.
I glanced back at my companions for a moment and asked the servant again. The servant, dressed in neat clothes with a fur vest, stepped back two paces as if to clear the way and gestured towards the corridor.
“…Just me, you mean?”
“Yes, only Young Master Ernhardt was specifically requested.”
“What about Prince Rubel?”
“There was no separate mention. May I guide you now?”
I looked back at the children for a moment.
Ruben nodded, so I politely closed the door and followed the servant.
What a strange occurrence. Was he perhaps going to ask about my uncle? Were my uncle and the current Duke Widrow such close friends? My mind was a whirl with various thoughts.
However, as soon as I stepped through the door the servant opened, a smile of delight naturally bloomed on my face.
“Grandfather.”
“My Mika has arrived! I heard you arrived, but you seemed so busy I held back.”
My maternal grandfather, the former Duke Valentia, turned from the sofa opposite Duke Widrow and smiled broadly at me. I stopped him from rising, gave him a light hug, and then bowed respectfully to Duke Widrow.
Come to think of it, I had already heard about this on my graduation day, but had completely forgotten. My maternal grandfather had said he would go to the Duchy of Widrow beforehand to convey the message.
Seeing me, who couldn’t contain my joy, and my maternal grandfather, Duke Widrow, who had been watching us, let out a hearty laugh and bantered.
“My, even side-by-side, you don’t resemble your godfather at all. You’re Sierren’s spitting image, no matter how you look at it. I was so surprised when I saw you earlier.”
“Of course, he’s his son. That’s only natural.”
“And his swordsmanship is even superior to Oscar’s.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
“You must be so pleased with your success in raising grandchildren. No wonder that old man, who said he had everything to say, didn’t descend and stayed put in this cold weather. He was waiting to see his grandson’s face.”
I had heard they were close, but they seemed even more intimate than I had imagined. Godfather? My maternal grandfather was the current Duke Widrow’s godfather? Feeling awkward and embarrassed, I sat silently. Duke Widrow then turned his gaze to me and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Well, I am the Duke now, but… as you know, I only became Duke three years ago. I was a man who worked in the field before.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“So, I have these children well in hand. If anything comes up, don’t suffer alone, tell me. I’ll help you. I’m not saying this just because your godfather is here; I mean it sincerely. Understand, Mika?”
Why was he being so familiar, as if we had known each other for ages?
Though I felt awkward and embarrassed, it was clear he held my mother and uncle in high regard, so I nodded politely. Seeing my reaction, Duke Widrow, who laughed again saying I was as quiet as Oscar, changed the subject.
“Right, so. Under Wesley Kiadris’s command, the Imperial Knights were specially dispatched.”
“…Yes.”
“But it’s strange, isn’t it? I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the Imperial Knights.”
My spine chilled.
Speechless, I stared at her. Duke Widrow let out a disbelieving laugh, leaning forward. Felice Widrow’s eyes were a bright golden. Her beast-like, bright yellow eyes shone fiercely.
“Where could they have hidden, evading the eyes of our Withrow? I’m quite curious.”
“Is this boy’s fault?”
My maternal grandfather cut through her fierce demeanor.
Then Duke Widrow laughed again, saying, “Ah, you’re right,” and diffused the tension. After a few hollow laughs, the Duke smiled again and spoke.
“In any case, I understand… From March last year, when the Imperial Knights were dispatched, until now, the number of monsters has only increased, not decreased. It seems they are doing something other than hunting monsters.”
“…Then.”
“This is something I need to investigate further. If I have a secret request, I will call for you again. Until then, focus more on being a fledgling rookie. It’s still…”
Her sharp gaze swept over me distinctly.
I knew immediately. This woman was stronger than I was now. Although she was once an equal to my uncle, her constant struggles and experiences in the Yuil Mountains must have honed her.
“It’s a bit early. Still, to be a Sword Master already, truly remarkable. How old is Mika this year?”
“…Six, sixteen… I am.”
“Truly, I never tire of hearing it. How could you, with a face so identical to Sierren’s, become the youngest Sword Master? She’s a delicate lady who can’t lift anything heavier than a needle.”
I knew my mother had no talent for swordsmanship.
But one doesn’t learn swordsmanship with their face. It’s not strange for blood relatives to resemble each other. It was obvious Duke Widrow was just saying anything to flatter my maternal grandfather. I didn’t add any more words, just smiled.
My maternal grandfather, who had been chatting with Duke Widrow about old times with me in between, held my hand and patted my back, offering advice.
“For my sake, that fellow won’t dare treat you carelessly. If anything happens, be sure to write to me.”
“He’ll exploit me terribly when you’re not looking. Just you wait and see.”
“Hmph!”
Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, I stroked my grandfather’s wrinkled hand and acted affectionately.
“Haha, I will do my best.”
“Yes, yes, you should. I know you’ll do well. But always be careful, and make sure to eat properly. Be wary of people, and be wary of carriages.”
I was someone who could split most carriages in half from a standstill.
It was absurd advice, but I replied with a smile, accepting it as a grandfather’s love. My grandfather spoke highly of me for a long time, patted my shoulder a couple of times, and bid farewell.
“Well, this old man shouldn’t be lingering at his grandson’s workplace. I plan to leave tomorrow, so please see me off from here in advance.”
“What? No, you’ll miss your departure time.”
“No, no. You have things to do too. I didn’t come to bother you. It’s enough that I saw your face and said hello.”
Overcome with emotion, I couldn’t speak for a moment, then opened my arms and hugged my grandfather’s frail body tightly. Duke Widrow, watching us with a smile, added,
“I will take excellent care of him. Don’t worry.”
“Yes. Yes, he will do well…”
My throat felt tight, and it was hard to let go of his hand.
Not wanting to part immediately, I walked with my grandfather to his door. Along the way, he affectionately repeated his earlier words several times, urging me to be careful. I promised, with deep affection, to do so, time and time again.
And so, the next morning.
I woke before dawn and saw my grandfather off, despite his protests that it wasn’t necessary.
The children, who had woken up early intending to train and had ended up accompanying me to see my grandfather off, were struggling to suppress their laughter. Marianne nudged my arm and teased me with a mischievous smile.
“Wow, you like him that much? You’re so respectful.”
“Of course, I do. Why else would he dote on me so? One must always be grateful and respectful to one’s elders.”
“…Uh-huh. I misspoke. That’s right… It’s truly a blessing… Ah, I miss Mom…”
Hearing that, I felt embarrassed, as if I had been bragging to children who were far from their parents and family. I gently comforted them, saying they could show their filial piety after finishing their work, and they all promised to do so in unison with sweet words.
Feeling proud and pleased, I patted Ruben’s broad back a few times.
Before going to meet the seniors, there was something important I needed to discuss, so I brought the children into the room.
When I relayed what I had heard from Duke Widrow the previous evening, they were all astonished.
The Imperial Knights had been dispatched three more times. The first was last March, followed by one in the summer and another in the autumn, all heading towards the Yuil Mountains in pursuit of Wesley. Everyone in the capital knew this.
And it was natural for the subjugation of the Yuil Mountains to be led by the Duke Widrow Family.
The first contact from a wizard who joined the expedition at Rubel’s behest, and the last report stating they were nearly arriving at the Duchy of Widrow, had been received.
The Sierran Empire was the owner of an excessively vast and wide territory.
For urgent matters, magical creatures were used. However, most communication was done through regular mail. It usually took three months for news to travel between the Duchy of Widrow and the capital of the Sierran Empire, and since the Imperial Knights had left with their official appointments, it was assumed they were handling things well upon arrival at the duchy.
The Imperial Knights were mostly composed of powerful individuals, almost all of whom had experience serving in the Yuil Mountains. No one doubted their words when they said they would hunt monsters and contribute to the nation on their own. Their trust in their strength had led to this miscalculation.
“…How many were in the first dispatched contingent?”
“Half of the reserve force dedicated to Imperial Palace guard duty. 380 people.”
“And the second and third?”
“45 people each. They left everything in their lives behind to serve the Empire, so though the numbers weren’t large, they were all elite knights.”
Rubel answered immediately, as if he had prepared, to Benjamin’s and my questions.
The five companies dispatched by the Duke Widrow Family scoured and surveyed all accessible areas for humans bordering the Duchy of Grimsvein, subjugating monsters. They reported the results to Duke Widrow.
Where could all those skilled individuals have disappeared to?
Did they soar into the sky, or sink into the earth? Everyone was silent at the unbelievable news. I asked again.
“You mentioned sending wizards with the first and second support teams, correct?”
“…Yes. And both contacted us on the 20th day, stating they were heading towards the Duchy of Widrow.”
“And there was no contact after that?”
“No.”
Even for Martial artists of Hwagyeong, there was a limit to how many they could apprehend with one hand. It was said that those who reached the realms above Hwagyeong, the Hyeon-gyeong and Saengsa-gyeong, which I had never even dreamed of, could crush and kill ten thousand people with a single finger…
However, simply killing them and making them disappear without a trace were two different things.
Everyone was confused and silent. After a long pause, Marianne poked Benjamin in the side, startling him. When everyone turned to Marianne, she spoke in a lively voice.
“This isn’t something we can solve by just thinking with our heads. Benjamin, tell them what you talked about yesterday.”
“…Yesterday?”
Come to think of it, before I was summoned by Duke Widrow, Benjamin had said he knew a way to pacify the seniors. Benjamin rubbed the spot Marianne had poked and looked at me. His expression was amusing, but I tried to maintain a serious demeanor.
“Yes. Since we have Mikael, it should be easily resolved.”
“…Hmm?”