Chapter 81

Neutral Nations Conference (1)

Saintea Empire Alliance.

An alliance of several human-centric nations centered around the Saintea Empire, which is the most central force in the main storyline of the Lasa worldview.

Caldric does not share a direct border with Saintea.

This is because there were several neutral nations in the intermediate zone between the two forces.

However, these so-called neutral nations were, in reality, mostly absorbed by Saintea after the demonic invasion.

There were only two nations that could still be considered truly neutral: the Earthhill Kingdom and the Kasol Kingdom.

These two small nations, whose total power was less than even one of Caldric's duchies, managed to remain in the neutral camp due to various political reasons.

The upcoming neutral nations conference in Earthhill was a gathering of the royal families of Caldric, Saintea, and the neutral nations.

"Everyone's here."

Riding on Tiyong, I flew swiftly to the Grand Duchy and looked at the Grand Castle, which was now visible in the distance.

Lowering my altitude to approach the castle entrance, I saw the Grand Duke and the Chief of Staff already waiting.

Tiyong flapped his wings and landed right in front of them.

I stepped down through a spatial leap, and Ashel, who followed, bowed to the Grand Duke.

"Have you arrived, 7th Duke?"

The Grand Duke greeted me with her usual innocent smile.

She glanced at Ashel with a peculiar look, then turned her gaze to Tiyong, her eyes sparkling.

"I heard you went to the Glide Mountains to capture a wyvern. A black wyvern, huh? It has the same golden eyes as the 7th Duke."

As the Grand Duke stared intently, Tiyong turned his head away, seemingly reluctant.

She smiled at his reaction and turned back to me.

"By the way, 7th Duke, I heard you rode the 2nd Duke's wyvern together. Last time, the 2nd Duke was so eager to catch you, but how did you become friends so quickly? Haha."

...Did she know everything?

I didn't bother to answer and changed the subject.

"When are we leaving?"

"Hmm, I don't know. If it's fine with the 7th Duke, we can leave right now."

I looked at her casual attire.

As always, she was wearing a black dress. Was she planning to travel like this?

I was heading to a neutral nation, not going out for a casual stroll, so I found it a bit absurd.

I had expected a proper entourage.

"Are we the only four traveling?"

"No. The Chief of Staff will stay behind, so it will be three of us."

"I thought we would travel with a proper entourage, but that's not the case."

The Grand Duke chuckled.

"It's unnecessary and troublesome. What else do I need when I'm going myself?"

It sounded quite arrogant, but it wasn't entirely wrong.

In any case, we decided to move to the neutral nation immediately upon arriving at the Grand Castle.

The Grand Duke soon brought her wyvern, which was also a black wyvern like Tiyong, but with blue eyes.

I asked the Grand Duke,

"Is there a specific reason you insisted on bringing me along to the conference?"

She only smiled mysteriously in response to my question.

She's really inscrutable.

"Alright, let's get going."

Darkness swirled around the Grand Duke, and her attire changed.

It was simpler and appropriately elegant compared to the dress she had just worn.

She gracefully rose and mounted her wyvern.

I couldn't help but feel a bit out of place watching the scene.

I already knew the Grand Duke owned a wyvern, but it was just strange to see her riding one, given her race.

Roar!

The Grand Duke's wyvern roared loudly and took off into the sky first.

Ashel and I, who had remounted Tiyong, followed shortly after.

The distance to the neutral nation was slightly farther than the distance between duchies, so it wouldn't take long.

This neutral nations conference was being held in the Earthhill Kingdom.

It was a triennial conference that began with the aim of fostering solidarity and cooperation, rotating among the neutral nations.

A gathering where the royal families of Caldric, Saintea, and the neutral nations would discuss the continent's future peacefully.

...Of course, those were just the publicly stated reasons, and ultimately, it was a power struggle.

Especially given the current political climate, this conference was unlikely to end with just a verbal battle.

It seemed that the Kasol Kingdom intended to declare war on the Earthhill Kingdom at this very conference.

That was also why I agreed to attend the conference without much hesitation, following the Grand Duke.

'Earthhill Kingdom...'

I thought about a man I had met in the 5th Duke's territory.

Teir Bamon, the second prince of the Earthhill royal family.

If he had returned to the castle as I suggested, I might meet him again at this conference.

***

"A pathetic guy. After all this time, he finally crawls back to the castle, shamelessly showing his dazed face..."

"..."

"I don't even want to see you, so get lost."

The King of Earthhill, Longford, glared at the man with a mix of love and hate before turning away.

Teir bowed his head and left the room.

Earthhill Kingdom, the capital Selaph's castle.

The castle, which he hadn't visited in a long time, hadn't changed at all, but the atmosphere was much more tense than usual due to the upcoming conference.

Teir, who had wandered into the garden outside the palace, sighed softly.

'I'm already regretting this...'

He wondered if he had made a mistake by coming back.

After being away from the castle for a long time, he had returned unexpectedly, and there wasn't much for him to do in this situation.

He was just aimlessly wandering around the palace.

Teir fiddled with a leaf, lost in thought.

He hadn't planned to return to the castle for the conference. After all, his presence wouldn't be of any help.

Still, there was one reason he had ended his long wanderings and returned home.

A man he had met in the 5th Duke's territory.

The man, who had called himself the 7th Duke, had said something that kept echoing in his mind.

'...Go back to where you belong.'

What did he mean by that?

Moreover, he had even hinted that he might help Earthhill in the future, given the unstable situation in the neutral nations.

Teir couldn't make sense of anything.

Was the man really the 7th Duke of Caldric? If so, why would such a powerful figure be interested in someone like him?

"Hey."

Hearing his name, Teir turned his head.

A woman in a neat dress stood in the garden.

Teir stared at her for a moment before smiling faintly.

"What's with the 'Hey,' Sery?"

The woman, called Rudy, frowned.

"Should I treat you like a brother after you've been wandering around for almost two years?"

"..."

"So, what are you doing here, brother?"

Though she called him 'brother,' her tone was different.

Teir continued to fiddle with the leaf, avoiding a direct answer.

Sery's expression was a mix of disappointment, frustration, and guilt.

"Why did you suddenly decide to come back? You said you wouldn't return."

"That's true. I'm sorry for causing more trouble at such a time."

"Damn it, that's not what I meant! Who said they were unhappy about you coming back?"

She sighed deeply, her voice trembling.

An awkward silence followed, then a soft voice broke it.

"Initially, why did you leave? I clearly remember saying... I, and not just me, but Lucas, your brother, really..."

"Stop."

Teir cut her off firmly.

"Stop, Sery. You know it wasn't about that."

"..."

"Instead, why are you here? Have you finished your preparations? Is everything in order?"

Sery couldn't continue her previous line of questioning, trying to change the subject.

She swallowed her frustration and calmed herself.

"Mind your own business. What's the point of talking to someone who doesn't help at all?"

Teir smiled bitterly.

"The Saintea side has arrived, and now only Caldric is left."

"..."

The royal families of the neutral nations, including the Saintea delegation, which included the Emperor, had all arrived at the castle the previous afternoon.

Rudy's mood darkened as she thought of a particularly annoying person. The 1st Prince of Kasol.

She said to Teir,

"Anyway, don't wander around outside. Just stay in your room until the conference is over..."

At that moment, footsteps were heard.

Rudy turned and frowned at the approaching people: a man and a woman in elaborate attire, accompanied by a knight.

"Princess Sery, you're here."

The man, who approached with a lecherous smile, was the 1st Prince of Kasol, Chordan, and the 2nd Princess, Olivica.

They were part of the Kasol delegation that had come with their king for the conference.

"I was just looking for you. The weather is nice, so I thought we could have tea with the other princes and princesses. Would you like to join us?"

Sery suppressed her rising irritation and maintained her composure.

"You're still saying that? You look free, but I'm busy with conference preparations."

Princess Olivica interjected.

"It's better not to refuse this time, Princess Sery. The 5th Prince of Saintea has also made time to join us."

"..."

"Isn't it a good opportunity to have a private conversation with such a distinguished person? So, stop refusing and join us."

Her voice carried a subtle sense of superiority and condescension.

The imperial family of Saintea was of a different class, even to the royal families.

By arranging a seat where she could interact with the 5th Prince, Olivica was showing off her connection.

"Oh, I see. Now that I look, you're here too. The pride of the Bamon family, Prince Teir, right?"

Chordan, noticing Teir, said with a mock surprise.

"I heard you left the castle, but you're back. How about joining us?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

Teir replied expressionlessly.

Chordan chuckled.

"Alright, I get it. I don't think you'll refuse the princess too, though."

"I've already said I'm busy and can't join."

Chordan's eyebrows twitched, and Olivica sneered.

"Princess Sery, is it good to be so stiff? You know your situation..."

"Enough, Olivica. Let's go."

They turned and walked out of the garden.

"By the way, Princess, what do you think will happen at this conference?"

Chordan paused and looked back at Sery.

"If you think it will end inconclusively like last time, you're mistaken. You know, the pretext doesn't matter. If we declare war on Earthhill, do you think Saintea or Caldric will interfere?"

"..."

Sery glared at Chordan with a hardened expression.

Chordan smirked at her.

"Let's see if you can keep up this attitude after the conference. Well, then..."

Roar!

A massive roar echoed throughout the castle.

Chordan and Olivica, along with Sery and Teir, looked up in shock.

Two large, black objects were flying rapidly towards the castle from the sky.

"Wyverns...?"

Chordan and Olivica hurriedly left the garden.

The sudden appearance of the wyverns meant only one thing: the Grand Duke of Caldric had finally arrived at the castle.

"Grand Duke of Caldric."

Sery muttered and hurried away.

Teir hesitated for a moment before following her.

***

Many people had gathered at the castle gates.

King Longford of Earthhill, the kings and princes of the neutral nations, and numerous nobles.

All the royal families of the neutral nations participating in the conference were present, except for the Saintea delegation.

Even though Earthhill was the host, the other participants couldn't avoid showing their faces.

In the tense atmosphere, everyone watched the woman walking towards the castle entrance with tense eyes.

The Grand Duke of Caldric, Rashatin.

She had no entourage, only a young human man by her side.

Despite this, their presence was overwhelming.

King Longford stepped forward calmly to greet them.

"Thank you for making the long journey to Earthhill, Grand Duke."

The Grand Duke sniffed and looked around.

"Thank you, King Longford. It seems we are the last to arrive. Let's go inside."

"Yes. But this gentleman is..."

Longford looked curiously at the man beside the Grand Duke.

She rarely brought anyone with her to conferences.

The Grand Duke smiled and said calmly,

"He is the new 7th Duke of Caldric."

"..."

Everyone was shocked and stared at the man.

The new 7th Duke of Caldric.

The person who had recently killed the same-rank Tyrant and caused a stir on the continent.

The mysterious figure, shrouded in secrecy, had arrived at the conference with the Grand Duke.

"..."

Meanwhile, someone had been staring at the 7th Duke in a daze even before the Grand Duke spoke. It was Teir.

The man standing beside the Grand Duke was the same one he had met in the 5th Duke's territory, exactly as he remembered.

Teir realized the man was indeed the 7th Duke and wondered what was happening.

The Grand Duke and the 7th Duke walked through the parted crowd into the castle.

The young royals participating in the conference for the first time, who had never met the Grand Duke of Caldric, were too intimidated to lift their heads.

Sery, who had been looking down, glanced at her brother beside her.

He was staring at them too openly.

'What are you doing? Idiot...'

She was about to nudge him when she suddenly bowed her head.

The 7th Duke's gaze was directed at her.

Thinking it was just a fleeting glance, the 7th Duke stopped in front of them.

"..."

Everyone's attention was on the 7th Duke, who had stopped.

The Grand Duke looked at him curiously, and Longford's expression hardened.

Sery tried to calm her racing heart, thinking she might have made a mistake.

After a brief silence, the 7th Duke spoke.

"