Until two hundred years ago, more than half of the Kingdom of Darsen’s territory had been governed by lords.
The lords pledged loyalty to the royal family and, in return, were granted autonomy over their territories, where they reigned as minor kings in their respective regions.
That situation gradually changed as the wars between the Kingdom of Darsen and the Kingdom of Gamelda intensified.
As both nations waged total war, their royal families stripped the lords of their autonomy and established centralized systems of government.
It had not been easy, but both the Kingdom of Darsen and the Kingdom of Gamelda succeeded.
Afterward, ‘lords’ largely disappeared from Yulen Island.
In the present day, the very existence of a lord could be considered an exception.
Only two lords remained in the Kingdom of Darsen.
And one of the territories governed by such a lord was Saul’s destination, the Gallet Region.
Baron Duncan Hopkins, the lord who governed the Gallet Region, was greatly startled by the message from the royal family.
“What did you just say?”
Pierre, the Royal Inspector who had brought the news, replied,
“Prince Saul Darius wishes to stay here.”
Pierre’s familiar, businesslike tone confirmed that Duncan had not misheard him.
Though perhaps it would have been preferable if something were wrong with his ears.
Saul Darius?
He had heard the name.
Was he not a prince born to a concubine?
Duncan had heard no other particularly noteworthy rumors about him.
Still, regardless of whether he had been born to a concubine, a prince was an enormously important figure simply by virtue of his status.
And now someone of that stature suddenly wanted to stay in the Gallet Region.
“Do you mean His Highness is coming here to travel or recuperate?”
Pierre shook his head.
“From what I have heard, His Highness intends to assist you, my lord.”
“Assist me?”
It was true that Duncan needed assistance.
Although the entirety of the Gallet Region was nominally territory governed by House Hopkins, the lord’s authority properly extended over only about half of it.
The remaining half either belonged to other races such as elves and dwarves or consisted of neutral lands that had been abandoned as useless.
Duncan could always use help.
The problem was that a prince with nothing to offer was far more likely to become a burden than an asset.
“What exactly can this prince do? Is he planning to make a donation to our territory?”
Pierre, who had been dispatched under the pretext of assisting House Hopkins on behalf of the royal family, fully understood Duncan’s feelings.
Had their positions been reversed and Pierre himself been the lord, he probably would have reacted much the same way.
However, Royal Inspector Pierre was, first and foremost, a representative of the royal family.
An inspector’s duty was to convey the royal family’s position to a lord and, furthermore, to keep watch over him.
“I have heard nothing of that sort.”
“What? Then you’re telling me I’m simply expected to entertain a prince in my territory?”
“Please calm yourself. I do not know much about His Highness, but I am told that someone reliable will be accompanying him.”
“Someone reliable? What, is he bringing the Black Witch with him?”
Duncan snorted, only for his eyes to widen when Pierre nodded.
“Wait. Kastel is coming?”
“That is correct. According to the message I received, she will accompany His Highness as both his guard and teacher.”
“Teacher? You mean the Black Witch is serving as a prince’s private tutor?”
“I do not know the details myself. I merely received the message from the royal family.”
“Hmm....”
Duncan still looked displeased, but the news that the Black Witch would be accompanying the prince noticeably softened his attitude.
Seizing the opportunity, Pierre decided to push the conversation forward.
“Is the Black Witch not a benefactor of this territory? Moreover, she will be arriving with His Highness the Prince. Surely we cannot afford to treat such guests carelessly?”
“...I suppose there is no helping it.”
“Thank you. Please make certain that His Highness suffers no inconvenience during his stay. I will speak favorably of the matter to the royal family.”
With those words, Pierre rose from his seat.
Duncan remained alone in thought for a while before summoning his two children.
“Father, you called for me?”
The first to arrive was Duncan’s only son, Kalland Hopkins.
Now twenty years old, Kalland had already been designated Duncan’s heir and was known as the Young Lord, taking responsibility for various affairs of the territory.
One glance at Kalland’s clothing was enough to tell Duncan what he had been doing before rushing here.
“Were you presiding over a trial?”
“Yes, Father. I was told that you had urgent business, so I suspended the proceedings and came immediately.”
“Good. I will explain once your sister arrives.”
Soon afterward, Duncan’s only daughter, Aina Hopkins, appeared as well.
“Father, you called?”
Unlike Duncan and Kalland, who wore ordinary aristocratic clothing, Aina was dressed rather conspicuously.
Instead of the dress one would normally expect from a young noblewoman who had undergone her coming-of-age ceremony only a few months earlier, she wore practical leather armor almost entirely devoid of decoration.
Someone who did not know her might have mistaken her for a newly enlisted female soldier rather than the daughter of a lord.
“Yes. You weren’t injured, were you?”
“Those petty bandits and thugs are nothing.”
Duncan nodded at Aina’s confident answer.
Kalland was diligently receiving the education necessary to succeed his father as the next lord, while Aina had chosen the path of a warrior.
The Gallet Region had valued martial prowess and magic since ancient times.
There was nothing shameful about a noblewoman such as Aina learning martial arts and magic.
Duncan was more concerned about her somewhat inadequate manners and excessively straightforward personality.
He swept his gaze over his two children, then looked around the room.
After confirming that only the three of them were present, Duncan spoke.
“We received a notice from the royal family.”
“The royal family? What happened?”
Both Kalland, who had answered, and Aina immediately grew serious.
“Have either of you heard of Saul Darius?”
This time, Aina answered first.
“Darius is the royal family name... but I’ve never heard the name Saul before.”
After thinking for another moment, Kalland remembered.
“Do you mean the Fifth Prince?”
“Yes. That is correct. The Fifth Prince, Saul Darius. He is coming to our territory.”
“If he is the Fifth Prince, he cannot be very old.”
“I heard he underwent his coming-of-age ceremony recently.”
Kalland and Aina exchanged looks.
If he had just undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, then he could technically be called an adult, but he was still very young.
There seemed to be only one possible explanation for a prince of that age coming to their territory.
“Is he coming here for fun?”
At Aina’s blunt remark, Duncan shook his head.
“Apparently, he believes he is coming to help us. I hear he can use magic.”
“Does this prince have any idea what kind of place this is?”
“It seems he at least understands that this is not some peaceful royal palace. That is why he is bringing the Black Witch with him.”
At the mention of the Black Witch, both Kalland and Aina reacted with shock.
“Miss Kastel? Is that true, Father?”
“There is no mistake. Apparently, she is coming as the prince’s guard and teacher.”
“A prince and Miss Kastel are both coming... Wait.”
For some reason, Kalland’s expression stiffened.
Aina, on the other hand, looked completely oblivious.
Noticing the stark difference between his son’s and daughter’s reactions, Duncan gave a slight nod.
“It is probably nothing serious.”
Understanding what Duncan meant, Kalland relaxed his expression.
Aina failed to notice her brother’s reaction and asked,
“Miss Kastel and a prince are both coming here? What could possibly be the reason?”
“I do not know either. In any case, Aina, Kalland and I will receive the prince here within the territory, so you will go with a detachment of soldiers and greet the prince’s party at the border. Remember this well. Our guests are a prince and the Black Witch, a benefactor of this territory. You must not show them any discourtesy.”
Aina’s eyes widened, and she pointed at herself.
“Me?”
Duncan knew exactly why she was reacting this way.
When welcoming guests as important as a prince and the Black Witch, protocol demanded that either the lord himself or one of his children go out to receive them.
However, while Aina had plenty of experience arresting or beating down criminals and hunting monsters, she had never been tasked with welcoming important guests.
Nor was she particularly suited for such a role.
Her current appearance alone made that obvious.
She was not completely ignorant of manners, but by the standards expected of a young noblewoman, her bearing was far from refined.
If that girl entered high society in the royal capital, she would undoubtedly be mocked as an incorrigible tomboy.
If Duncan sent her to receive a prince, she might make some sort of mistake.
But at present, that was preferable.
It was better than Duncan or Kalland leaving the estate and having something happen in their absence.
Having organized his thoughts, Duncan spoke.
“It is time you gained experience with matters like this as well.”
“Father, but....”
“A daughter of House Hopkins cannot spend her entire life doing nothing but beating down criminals and cutting apart monsters. Consider it good experience and handle this task yourself.”
In the end, Aina had no choice but to accept.
“Yes, Father.”
Aina rose and left.
The moment the door closed behind her, Kalland’s expression stiffened again.
“Father, could the royal family have noticed something?”
“I do not believe so.”
“Then why would they....”
“For now, we will observe the situation. The fact that a prince and the Black Witch are coming together surely means there is some significant reason.”
“…….”
“Remember this. You must not act rashly under any circumstances. Your sister must also remain ignorant of everything for now. That is why I sent her despite her shortcomings. She knows absolutely nothing about our affairs, so there is no danger of her making a mistake in that regard. Make absolutely certain that neither your sister nor our guests notice anything.”
“Yes, Father.”
***
‘Very well. Then become as strong as you please. So long as you do no harm to the kingdom, the more powerful members of the royal family we possess, the better. If you prove yourself more capable than your brothers and sister and earn the support of more people, there would be no reason I could not pass the crown to you.’
As Saul recalled Father’s words from the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, he noticed the scenery outside gradually changing.
For a long while, forest had stretched endlessly around them. Then the trees gradually became shorter until open grasslands appeared.
They must be approaching the Gallet Region.
Saul asked Gray, who sat across from him,
“Have you ever been to the Gallet Region?”
“No, Your Highness.”
“I heard it’s a harsh land. You didn’t really have to come with me.”
“What are you saying? If Your Highness is going, then naturally this Gray must accompany you.”
Gray had grown older, but he remained hale and hearty, his movements and voice as steady as ever.
Unless his health began to fail, there was no reason to stop him from following.
Saul then turned to Kastel, who was sitting beside Gray.
“You’ve been to the Gallet Region before, haven’t you, Teacher?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I heard it’s dry and rugged. Is it true that other races, wild beasts, and even monsters that you’d never see in the capital appear here?”
“I do not know. All I saw were battlefields and ruins.”
Saul recalled what he had read in books.
During the Six-Year War, Kastel had once saved the Gallet Region from a crisis.
That was one of the reasons he had deliberately brought her along.
Though the greater reason was simply that she remained highly useful as his teacher, close retainer, and guard.
After Saul had spent some time looking out the window, one of the cavalrymen escorting the carriage approached and reported,
“Your Highness, we will arrive at the territory shortly!”
“Understood.”
Saul had heard that there was a small fortress at the entrance to the territory.
Apparently, someone specially dispatched by the lord would guide Saul’s party from the border onward.
Before long, the fortress came into view.
Calling it a fortress was generous.
It looked closer to the ruins of a crumbling castle.
Several soldiers could be seen moving around, so it did not appear to have been abandoned, but Saul doubted it could withstand even a day if attacked by a sizable force.
In any case, the carriage arrived at the fortress and came to a stop.
When Saul stepped down, the welcoming party dispatched by the lord was already waiting for him.