Arunvida in the north suffered from a manpower shortage every year, yet it didn’t receive much support from the Empire.
It was known at the Academy as the least popular place to be dispatched to, and there were several reasons for this.
First, transportation was inconvenient.
The climate was so harsh that even using teleportation magic circles was difficult.
Additionally, Arunvida was strategically located halfway up a huge mountain range, so moving around was fraught with considerable risk.
“Hmm…”
“Are you all right?”
Shane nodded his head at the guide’s voice coming from the front.
“I can bear this much.”
“You have great patience.”
In response to the guide’s question, Shane answered without showing any signs of struggle.
Due to the rugged mountain range, this place demanded a grueling march even for knights.
And for Shane who was physically less capable than the knights, it was quite a hardship.
Dealing with Gordon was easier than this.
If it weren’t for the essence Priscilla had given him, it would have been even more difficult.
“It’s very rare for a mage to be dispatched here. It takes over a week just to get here for those who come occasionally. Compared to them, you’re quite remarkable Sir Shane.”
“There’s no need for praise. How much farther do we have to go?”
“Just about half a day more. However, there are monsters near the base, so we might be delayed.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
“Huh?”
The guide noticed magical projectiles floating around him.
“It looks like the welcoming ceremony has already begun.”
Suddenly, dozens of magical bullets ricocheted through the air and flew between the surrounding rocks.
Crack! Crack!
The howls of Ice War Wolves echoed from various directions.
“Ah…”
Standing resolutely against the sharp wind blowing over the mountain range, Shane looked at the guide and said,
“Let’s move before the smell of the monsters’ blood spreads further.”
“U-Understood!”
“So, he arrived?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
A subordinate who was kneeling down responded to the calm voice of a woman.
The scattered light illuminated the woman through the frozen window. This was the result of the constant freezing weather.
Her light silver-blue hair was tied with a worn-out hairband and fell below her shoulders, while her silver eyes which were reminiscent of a frozen lakeside in the middle of winter seemed to be devoid of emotion.
“I must have told you several times not to call me Your Highness here.”
“I have also told you several times that you will always be the Princess to me.”
“How stubborn.”
Zephyr D. Natasha Anastasia.
The woman who was known as one of the two flowers of the empire and the twin sister of the first princess. She was currently the lord of Arunvida and also the lord of the Viduron Castle Wall Outpost.
Her voice was as plain and monotonous as her office, which was bare except for an armor rack, a desk, and piles of various documents.
“So… the hero who opened the Great Mezaiya Forest, huh?”
“I wonder if they are really as described in the information that Eleksa has sent us.”
“I heard the exploration of the Great Mezaiya Forest started because of that boy.”
“Yes. It all began with the paper he presented during his department test.”
Anastasia recalled the report Eleksa had sent almost half a month ago.
Eleksa who was originally from Arunvida had volunteered to become an informant for the princess. She would recruit others and become a source of information to relay news from the outside world.
It had been three years since she left, and thanks to her growing reputation, they could stay informed of outside events even in this isolated place.
“‘He has a personality that strictly separates public and private matters, with very little emotional fluctuation. Contrary to the rumors going around, he is very protective of his younger brother, Clayton L. Klein. Although he’s a mage, he doesn’t hesitate to engage in hand-to-hand combat and often uses unconventional methods like magical projectiles. His academic abilities are not only exceptional, but extraordinary, and he is frequently recognized by the leader of the Raviata Adventurer Party.’ That’s what the report says. And such a talent has come all the way here in person?”
“Yes. At first, Eleksa underestimated him and paid dearly for it.”
“That’s right. She did. Didn’t he suddenly demand the exclusive rights to all monster materials in Arunvida?”
Eleksa, who opted to ignore Shane in the early stages of the Great Mezaiya Forest, reported that she later painfully experienced his abilities and had no choice but to sign such a contract with him.
How astonished she had been upon receiving that report.
Of course, the only special products from Arunvida were magic stones and materials obtained by hunting and dismantling the abundant monsters in this place.
Even just exporting these would generate enormous profits, but the unique rough terrain made even that impossible in reality.
With the steep mountains that even carriages couldn’t traverse, what kind of trade could they possibly conduct?
Receiving the support shipments from the empire alone required a significant budget, so for merchants, Arunvida was as good as a pie in the sky.
Despite this, Shane made such demands and Eleksa accepted them.
In reality, it would benefit Arunvida if the trade were to happen, as it would help dispose of the accumulated inventory of unwanted goods.
“So I did grant permission for such a contract, but I didn’t expect him to come all the way here in person.”
“I heard he is a bright young man. Surely, he must have some unknown purpose in mind.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“Your Highness, please maintain proper conduct of a member of the imperial family.”
Anastasia’s eyebrows twitched at the sudden advice from her loyal retainer.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Even if there are no delegates coming to Arunvida, it is unbecoming for Your Highness to personally appear on the first day.”
“But I am curious.”
“Please restrain yourself.”
“…”
“Your Highness.”
“Tch. Fine. Since you insist like this Mimir, I have no choice.”
“You must not sneak out.”
“Do you really find me so untrustworthy?”
“Yes, I do.”
“…I will maintain the dignity of the imperial family.”
“I will do whatever it takes if you put your faith in me, Your Highness.”
With a face as unyielding as steel even in the dead of winter, Mimir’s words of blatant hypocrisy made the princess sigh and nod her head.
“Fine.”
“Then I will take it as such. I will see him myself, so please wait until then.”
“Alright.”
After Mimir left the office, Anastasia who was alone reading documents sighed. She was lamenting the recent situation.
“How can someone like that be called a loyal retainer… Hmm…”
As she recalled the promise she had just made with Mimir, Anastasia mused,
“This makes the 592nd lie. Now that I think about it again, he does seem like a loyal retainer.”
With that, Anastasia retrieved Eleksa’s report and read it again. A playful smile spread across her face.
“Welcome to Arunvida. I am Cassius H. Mimir, the assistant to Lady Zephyr D. Natasha Anastasia, the second princess and rightful member of the imperial family.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Clayton R. Shane, a student who has been dispatched to Arunvida territory.”
Mimir felt a slight surprise inwardly at Shane’s unexpectedly dignified demeanor.
Considering he was only eighteen and held the title of the hero who opened the Great Mezaiya Forest, Mimir had expected him to have a bit of an arrogant air.
But there was not a trace of arrogance or rashness in his attitude.
“Yes, seeing the hero who opened the Great Mezaiya Forest in person makes me feel the empire’s future is bright. Please understand that the princess couldn’t come out due to her piled-up duties.”
“I understand. She is responsible for the northern part of the empire, after all.”
“Yes. You must be tired from your journey, would you like to rest for a while?”
“No. I will rest later, please explain the details regarding my dispatch.”
“…Very well. Then please follow me. I will explain as we take a walk around the castle.”
With that, Mimir started walking beside Shane and the latter followed him.
“First of all, how much do you know about Arunvida?”
“I think I know the story that is known to the public. However, even though I have been sent to the northern part of the Empire, I am also aware that the situation is not very good”.
“That’s correct. To put it bluntly, everything is lacking in Arunvida.”
Mimir began his explanation by highlighting the territory’s shortcomings rather than its strengths.
It wasn’t just that there were no advantages in this place, but he also wanted to carefully observe any changes in Shane’s expression during the process.
“Originally, Arunvida was a territory that even the imperial family paid significant attention to in the past. We never knew when the southern march of the Green Orcs would happen. But that’s no longer the case.”
It has been fifty years since the first southern march of the Green Orcs.
During that time, Viduron Castle which was established as a Catsle Outpost fulfilled its role in preventing the orc invasions.
However, no storm-like events similar to those fifty years ago have occurred.
Moreover, the harsh environment has made it difficult to attract support personnel.
Who would volunteer for a territory where they wouldn’t be able to even glimpse the outside world for years?
In contrast, the constant attempts of the orcs to invade and the occurrence of monster waves have led to constant casualties.
The territory cannot function normally because of this.
In response, the Empire came up with a clever solution.
They started to supplement the lack of personnel by dispatching skilled convicts, violent criminals who were good at fighting, and imperial family members or nobles who were ousted from politics.
Naturally, the morale of those brought in for unfavorable reasons was low, and the territory eventually became neglected by the Empire.
That’s why Anastasia’s other name is ‘The Broken Flower’.
Just as Shane thought, Anastasia had won the support of the people of the Empire by standing up for chivalry.
However, for some reason, she was demoted to this Arunbida place.
People believed she wouldn’t last even a year, but Anastasia was not a woman who only showed off her chivalry on the outside.
After she was demoted at the mere age of 14, Anastasia steadfastly held her position here for the past seven years.
She not only revived the nearly crumbling authority of the commander but also established a structured system to actively revive the territory.
Despite this, the outside view was still not favorable.
Even when environmental factors were excluded, it was still a place where those abandoned by the Empire gathered.
In the empire, the prevailing view was that Anastasia who was now called the Broken Flower would never escape this place for the rest of her life.
Having listened to Mimir’s entire explanation, Shane silently nodded his head.
Most of the stories about this place were negative, so Mimir grew perplexed when he saw no change in Shane’s expression.
I can’t figure out his thoughts at all.
Was he just here to satisfy his curiosity as a mage?
Or perhaps he came to train like a knight walking a path of hardship?
Most who applied for dispatch here were like that, and now and then, there were those who sought to gain Anastasia’s favor and forge a connection with the Imperial family.
Of course, they all eventually realized that maintaining ties with the Imperial family this way was futile and left after completing their dispatch period.
Where did this boy fit among them?
Or did he belong to a group Mimir had yet to see?
I need to keep an eye on him for now.
What reason could this boy, who had once caused such a stir across the continent, have for coming here?
Mimir decided to take more time to observe him.
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