Chapter 34

This is the second update of the day.

It has been two months since the queen fully recovered.

The atmosphere in the palace is bright.

Prince Markus finished reading and closed the documents reporting the latest movements of the surrounding countries. These were given to him by his father, the king, with the instruction to keep them in mind.

"Our country is probably being overlooked by that country because of our poverty."

That country refers to the northern great kingdom of Faril.

Faril is a country rich in forest and water resources. Over the past twenty years, Faril has focused on strengthening its military, and under the current king, it has subjugated the surrounding countries one after another, becoming a massive nation.

One would think that as a country grows larger, there would be areas where oversight is lacking, but Faril has four princes, all of whom are said to be excellent. The country is now divided into four regions, with the king and three princes each governing their own area, forming a solid lineup.

"What is the purpose of the fourth prince coming to our country for a study visit?"

When a great country asks a small and weak country like ours to host the "Fourth Prince for a while," we have no choice but to accept.

Last week, Prince Herald of Faril arrived in our country with only eight guards. Since his first day, Prince Herald has been walking around the city, but he doesn't seem to socialize much within the palace. The uncertainty about the purpose of his study visit is unsettling.

He is eighteen years old, the same age as me, but he looks three or four years older due to his tall stature. He has the blonde hair and blue eyes common in the northern Faril, and his face is striking. The women who work in the palace are buzzing about his appearance.

"Huh?"

I saw something moving outside the window. Squinting, I saw a tall man moving stealthily through the shadows, weaving between the trees in the garden. For a moment, the light from the torches illuminated a dark gray hooded coat. It must be Prince Herald.

"Where is he going at this hour of the night without any guards?"

If it's just a walk, that's fine, but if it's something else, it could be troublesome. Prince Markus quickly stood up and left the room.

Two guards, who were standing outside the room on night watch, looked at him silently.

"Come with me."

"Yes, sir."

We ran down to the ground floor and exited through the window of the grand hall to reach the garden as quickly as possible. The guards followed silently. Moving quickly and quietly, we followed Herald, and soon we saw the tall figure of Herald ahead.

We maintained a certain distance as we followed him. Herald walked through the deserted streets of the city at midnight with a clear destination in mind. He passed through the residential areas of the nobles, the commercial district, and the residential areas of the common people, and now he was walking through the so-called poverty district, where the rent is cheap.

A bad feeling started to form in Markus's heart.

This is the farm. Could Herald be heading for that farm?

"No, a prince from another country who has just arrived in this country shouldn't be going there... I don't want to think that."

But Herald's pace was quick, and just beyond the poverty district was that farm.

It started to rain at night. It was a gentle, fine rain. The people of this area have known for years that it rains here, and the farm workers said they use it. When the rain became a topic of conversation, the country conducted an investigation, but the cause of the rain was never determined. The area was too vast for anyone to think it was man-made.

"The slightly depressed terrain causes the cold air to condense in the air, creating a light rain," the scholars said.

When asked about the possibility of magic, the answers were: "Even Aura, a powerful mage of unprecedented strength, might not have been able to do that," "If magic were used to make it rain every night over such a large area, it would shorten one's lifespan," and "It also rains in the poor districts, noble districts, and commercial areas. There is no reason to use magic to make it rain, even at the cost of one's lifespan."

Markus had noticed that both the buried farm and Alesia's farm used rain gutters, but the surrounding poor districts and farms had also started using rain gutters to collect water. He seemed to be the only one who felt a connection between the buried farm and the Caelio farm.

Eventually, Herald stood in front of the farm gate. The gate of that farm is a simple wooden gate made by hand, with a latch on the inside. Anyone could reach out and open it from the outside.

"That's careless. I should tell them to fix it."

Seeing Herald here at midnight, he thought so. However, the fence surrounding the farm is also loosely built, and anyone with ill intentions could enter from anywhere.

(Something needs to be done. There's that silk cloth in the farm.)

Herald only looked at the farm and then moved back a bit. Markus and the guards hid behind the nearby houses to avoid being seen.

Herald kept his distance from the farm and walked around it. Soon, he reached a wasteland. On his left was the farm, and everything else was dry, barren land. Herald continued to walk, but Markus hesitated. There was nothing to hide behind in the wasteland. It was dark, but if he turned around, he would probably be seen.

(What does he intend to do in the wasteland?)

Standing in the shadow of the last house, he watched as Herald walked along the fence of the farm, maintaining a certain distance. Gradually, his figure grew smaller.

"Let's go."

"But we'll be completely visible."

"Even so, it's fine. If he tries to enter the farm, it will be a problem."

The moon tonight is a thin crescent. In the dark, where the moonlight is of little help, Herald walks alone. This area might be the boundary of the rain.

(Sure enough, that guy...)