By Zephyria 
Raoul.
That guy, whom I met at Hugh Benson’s childhood orphanage, had a history of failing to kidnap Ruben and Benjamin in Owen. I knew he lingered around Lady Diamang, but I never dreamed he was a disciple of Soho Cheon-nyeo.
Could it be that he specifically told our party to go to Lady Diamang’s mansion for another reason? For example, me….
No, it’s already in the past. After washing my face a few times, I brought up what was bothering me again.
“Are all those who went on the Floyd Expedition safe?”
“Out of a total of 93 people, only 7 died, including you. Now that you’re alive, it’s six.”
“….”
“I heard some of those standing closest to the Second Prince were killed…. The first squad you were in, though they had injuries, everyone survived.”
“By any chance…. Sir Elga Wilde or Sir Steven Gore?”
“Who are they? Are you close?”
“…No.”
Edwin Kiadris continued to tell me stories about the capital that I might be curious about.
Spiritus returned to her lair, stating she didn’t want to get involved in the petty fights between monsters and humans and create unnecessary trouble. No one stopped her, as she claimed her role was fulfilled by reaping the seeds she had sown.
Gano Paquin also returned to Biban. He initially helped me search for my whereabouts by digging through stacks of documents from the capital, but he said he couldn’t hold out any longer once he started hearing the voices of his followers. He now seems to be working day and night to cleanse the pollution in Biban and make the land fertile again.
My father ascended to the position of Count Ernhardt. Michael received the title of Count Ernhardt. Although I didn’t hear detailed news as I had no direct dealings with them, the entire family was still wearing somber mourning clothes. It was a source of both apology and gratitude.
“Did you catch Richard?”
“Yeah. Right after you disappeared, we caught him hiding in Floyd’s capital and executed him summarily. So, it’s the second year of the Ruberian Calendar as of January 1st.”
“….”
The child has finally ascended to the throne.
He must have been incredibly beautiful. It must have been grand and magnificent. It pained me that I couldn’t see it with my own eyes. Even if it felt like a fleeting moment to me, quite some time had passed for Ruben, so it couldn’t be helped….
Since my funeral was held, they must have opened my will.
I couldn’t hide my anxious heart, feeling so worried and apologetic.
“By any chance, Lady Hestia Yeldidus….”
“What? You think she married the Second Prince?”
“…No, I didn’t think anything of the sort.”
“He properly became Duke. He even kidnapped one of the troublemakers from our family.”
“…Kidnapped?”
“The Duke Yeldidus Family is still in disarray, so I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about. He ran off with Poplar Kiadris, and when they demanded a dowry, he refused, saying it was an adoption, not a marriage, so it’s on hold.”
“…Ah.”
He finally achieved what he wanted.
I didn’t understand what was meant by the Duke Yeldidus Family being in disarray.
However, just knowing that Ruben hadn’t married someone else put my mind at ease, and I had no further questions.
My steps, taken in silence, eventually led me to the familiar three Magic Towers. Just thinking about what message to send to Ranunculus made my heart pound and my throat dry.
Three blue Ranunculuses flew into the sky.
Edwin stood steadfastly beside me. It was because I needed a guarantor, as I didn’t have the means to pay the cost right away. Still, it was fortunate that this guy had a title and money, allowing him to send Ranunculuses without restriction.
As I was leaving voice messages, Edwin, who had been standing askew the whole time, finally picked a fight.
“Is that all?”
“What else?”
“They say you had your funeral three months ago. And this is all you have to say to your family: ‘It’s me. I’ve returned alive. Don’t worry too much, I’m perfectly fine.’ Is that it?”
“Then what else should I say? I heard everyone isn’t in the capital right now.”
“No, a description of what happened in the meantime….”
“It would be better to talk about such things face-to-face. Besides, nothing particularly significant happened.”
“‘I’ve returned a little late. If everyone is in the capital, let’s have a meal together.’ How about this? Why did you send this to the Claudian Marquisate?”
“I thought if I told my other friends, they’d cry and collapse, so I asked the most level-headed one to relay the message. Since I don’t have many friends, I thought I should let them know.”
“…Right, uh, I sort of understand. But the last one? Is that really all you have to say to the Imperial Palace?”
Did I do something wrong? It couldn’t be.
Edwin Kiadris bit his thin lips and mimicked my voice.
“‘This is Michael Ernhardt. I have just arrived in the Widdrow Duchy and am preparing for my return. I will visit you soon, so I pray you remain well until then.'”
“Why is that a problem?”
“You sent it to the Second Prince, right?”
“Yes.”
“….”
“….”
“….”
However, I still had an excuse.
I let out a big sigh and looked resentfully at the person before me.
“…Then what more could I say in front of my senior?”
“…Ah.”
“There are people who will censor things in the middle, aren’t there? It’s better to discuss the details when we meet.”
“You care about what others think now?”
Wasn’t it Edwin Kiadris who lived without caring what others thought? I was utterly bewildered, but I thought he had matured with time and said no more. I sighed and waved my hand, dispelling his gaze.
“That’s enough, just give me some clothes. I need to see Duke Widrow.”
* * *
Edwin Kiadris took me to the Duke’s castle and left.
“Mika!”
And Duke Widrow, as soon as he heard I had arrived, leaped down from the fourth floor, surprising the attendants. As I was unexpectedly embraced by the Duke, I found it amusing and welcoming.
His short-cropped silver hair and the reddish scar across his left eye were still the same.
Duke Widrow, who had defended the Sierran Empire on the front lines.
Although he wasn’t young to begin with, he looked as if twenty years had passed in just a few years since I last saw him. Considering that aura users age slowly, it was evident how much he had suffered.
I paid my respects with utmost sincerity.
“It’s been a long time, Duke.”
“Even after hearing the story, I couldn’t believe it. How could you hide for so long without any news? You said you were going to catch a god and then just disappeared.”
“I didn’t realize the fight had lasted that long either.”
“You must not have, which is why…. Ugh, look at your smooth skin. Still, I’m glad you’ve returned safe and sound. Truly glad.”
His actions, like patting my shoulder, checking my limbs, and counting my fingers as if I were his own relative, were quite amusing. I didn’t push him away. If he wanted to rub my cheeks, I let him; if he wanted to stroke my hair, I let him.
After thoroughly manhandling me for a long time, Duke Widrow finally let go about ten minutes later.
“I’m sorry to bother you right after you arrived, but can I check something?”
“Yes? Yes. Please do.”
“It’s nothing major. I just need to know if you’ve learned Black Magic or not, so I can send you to the capital.”
“…Black Magic?”
“I don’t know how much Duke Kiadris told you. First, you know that a black magician from another world crossed over to this world through the Ninth God’s scheme, right?”
“…Yes.”
So that’s how the story spread.
Led by Duke Widrow’s hand, I was taken to the infirmary, not the reception room. Several tense magicians were already waiting in the infirmary located on the first floor of the Duke’s castle. They were clearly wary of me.
Duke Widrow, with his still bright expression, took my hand and pushed me towards a machine.
My fingertip stung.
I understood why Duke Widrow had come out to greet me immediately. She was one of the individuals with the greatest combat power in this duchy. She had been preparing for the possibility that I might be an enemy, not an ally.
My mouth tastes bitter.
Duke Widrow continued to speak with a smile, not showing any outward signs of suspicion.
“There were quite a few disciples of that black magician. They infiltrated, centering around Dunmel Canyon and Owen. While Dunmel Canyon can be suppressed periodically, crossing the Owen border means war. King Owen is protecting them for some reason, and all five kingdoms are wary of the current Empire, so it’s not easy.”
“…Hmm.”
“That’s why everyone entering the Sierran Empire is undergoing a simple mana test. Specifically, to see if they carry mana from another world.”
“… ”
I listened in silence.
The Black Magic learned by Soho Cheon-nyeo’s disciples caused monsters to go berserk. However, there were no visible signs on the appearance of those who had learned Black Magic. Therefore, the Empire created artifacts that reacted to unfamiliar mana to weed out suspicious individuals.
And I was currently being tested for my status as a suspicious element using that artifact.
The front of the artifact wrapped around my forearm had three lamps attached. When the green lamp lit up, Duke Widrow, with a look of great relief, loosened her grip on my hand. The expressions of those beside her also brightened.
I obediently responded to a few more tests as I was led. I allowed them to look into my eyes with a light, expose my upper body to examine my appearance, and infuse a tiny amount of mana into my body.
All of them turned green.
It was only natural, as the Ninth God I had swallowed was entirely a god of this continent.
It was fortunate that my path back to the capital would have been blocked if I had been deemed hostile. Duke Widrow, who had stayed by my side throughout the experiment, took out a document and signed it with her own hand. The report from the physicians and the document from Duke Widrow were tied together with a string and handed to me.
“I apologize for the suspicion. This is your Imperial entry permit. If you show this to the guards at the West Gate of the capital, you should be able to enter without any problems. Since you’re not an ordinary knight, I had to verify it myself.”
“No, it’s necessary to follow clear procedures.”
“However, Mika.”
Duke Widrow looked up at me with a very troubled expression.
“Even for you, I can’t let you bring a Goblin into the capital.”
Oops.
I was startled, remembering the creature I had completely forgotten.