Chapter 67

On that day, Sais was on a rare day off, strolling through the central streets of the imperial capital, Midas. He planned to do some shopping at an old-established store that supplied the Antore Knights, located on the north street.

Just as he was about to enter the store, someone called his name from behind.

At first, Sais ignored it. He didn't know any woman who would stop him in such a place, and he thought it must be a case of mistaken identity. However, when he was called again more insistently, he turned around casually and was taken aback by the person he saw.

"Your Highness..."

He almost called out, but managed to hold his tongue at the last moment. Sais hurriedly approached and guided Princess Via, who was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, to the shade of a street tree. He immediately thought that her safety could not be guaranteed in such a crowded place.

"It's good to see you safe and sound..."

The thought that he might never see her again made him feel as if he were in a dream. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked at her attire again. Princess Via was wearing a simple linen dress like the women in the lower town, and Sais couldn't help but frown at her fallen appearance.

However, it seemed that Princess Via didn't care about such things at all. She began by saying that she was living happily and enjoying every day, and then quickly got to the point.

"Please tell Lord Ammon. I had a dream that His Majesty was swallowed by a torrent along with his horse."

Sais was taken aback by the ominous dream. His Majesty was scheduled to inspect the Bize River soon, and Sais immediately realized the potential danger.

"Please tell me the details."

With a serious expression, Sais asked, and Princess Via earnestly relayed all the information she could remember. It seemed she had written down the details immediately after waking up, and her tone was steady.

At the end, she pleaded with Sais, almost in tears.

"Please tell His Majesty not to go."

Seeing her desperate plea, even the inexperienced Sais could tell that Princess Via still cared deeply for His Majesty. He tried to persuade her to return to the palace with him and explain the situation directly to His Majesty.

However, Princess Via refused. She knew that if she met him, she wouldn't be able to control her feelings. She stubbornly refused to meet him and was about to disappear from His Majesty's life again.

"I'm leaving now."

Her eyes reflected her feelings for His Majesty, yet she said this with unwavering resolve. Seeing her turn to leave, Sais panicked.

This might be the last time he would ever see her. No matter how much she might be financially struggling in the future, she would never rely on His Majesty or his younger brother. Sais suddenly thought he should give her some money.

But as he reached into his chest pocket, he realized the foolishness of his action. What he was about to do was an act of charity. Who would be happy with such a thing?

He asked himself what he should do, and the answer quickly became clear. He would offer his final loyalty as a knight to her. There was no hesitation.

"Here."

What Sais placed in Princess Via's hand was the emblem of the Evbeck family. For Sais, who could not inherit the title, it was his last lifeline. Without it, his eldest son and his descendants could not prove their lineage to the Evbeck family.

Sais handed over this emblem, which was as important as life to a noble, without hesitation.

Princess Via's face changed when she saw it.

"I can't accept such an important thing."

Sais gently pushed back her hand, which tried to return the emblem.

"Use this if you ever find yourself in real trouble. I still have the emblem of the Antore Knights."

As long as he was part of the Antore Knights, he would not starve. The fact that his life had been saved was enough for him.

Then, Sais took Princess Via's hand, now a commoner, and kissed it respectfully. This would be the last time he could show his loyalty as a knight to her.

"If I hadn't met you, I would have lost my life long ago."

Smiling, he continued, and Princess Via's eyes widened slightly. She seemed to realize that Sais knew about her dream.

"I was truly happy to serve you. If you value the time we spent together, even a little, please accept something that connects you to me."

It was unlikely that he would ever admire someone so deeply again.

Of course, Sais was a knight of Antore, and his life should be dedicated to the emperor. He would continue to serve the country with pride and resolve.

However, in a different sense, Sais truly admired Princess Via. Despite her misfortune, she never envied or resented anyone, and she smiled calmly, burying her pain deep inside. Sais revered and respected her for her resilience.

Princess Via looked at the emblem intently, then gently held it, feeling its weight and the loyalty it represented. She finally smiled softly.

"Thank you. Take care of yourself, Evbeck."

Sais silently watched as Princess Via disappeared into the crowd. Her resolute back, never looking back, was very much like a princess. Despite the overwhelming sadness, a smile escaped his lips.

Sais wiped away the tears welling in his eyes with his fist and took a deep breath to regain his composure. There was no time to linger. He had to report the information to His Majesty as soon as possible.

As he took a step forward, a black spot appeared on the cobblestone at his feet. Looking up hurriedly, he saw that the sun, which had been shining until a moment ago, was now obscured by thin clouds covering the sky. Looking west, he saw that the heavy gray clouds were thickening.

This year seems to have a lot of rain.

The words of a colleague came back to him.

Upon hearing Sais's report, His Majesty immediately took action to evacuate the people. He identified the location, informed the downstream residents who were at risk, and set up reception centers for those who had nowhere to go. Three days later, after the rain continued intermittently and the people began to feel uneasy about the rising water levels, a massive mudslide occurred.

The mudslide, carrying rocks and large trees, roared as it swept through nearly a dozen villages, which were quickly buried in mud. The places where houses and fields once stood were now covered in brown mud, and rocks as tall as a person and trees with roots still attached were left in the devastated village. This was a large-scale disaster that was said to occur only once every few decades, and it could have resulted in hundreds of deaths. However, this time, there were almost no casualties due to the timely warnings.

Nevertheless, support for rebuilding the lives of those who had lost their homes and workplaces was necessary. The central government began to move busily to provide relief, while the people who had been saved and those who had heard the news praised and revered the emperor's achievements.

This was a turning point.

The emperor, who was already popular among the people, saw his popularity soar. With the people's reverence as a tailwind, the emperor's presence in the court grew stronger. The atmosphere in the court changed, with the emperor's words being seen as the only true justice, and his every wish being granted. Gruuk Morgann, the emperor's close aide, began to move secretly, reading the changing tide.

The first person he brought to his side was Lord Roffman, who led one of the three great knight orders. Starting with Lord Roffman, Gruuk Morgann began to persuade one by one the influential nobles known as the pillars of the court.

This covert operation eventually evolved into an unprecedented manhunt that involved multiple countries, but Sais, a mere knight of Antore, was still unaware of these changes.

It would have been impossible for him to imagine that Gruuk Morgann's strategy was triggered by the emblem Sais had given to Princess Via.