“Well then, Sir Giel.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The Marquis wasn’t captured alive.”

“Neither our knights nor the Grand Duke were able to find a trace of him.”

“And you lost the unidentified Master as well, did you not? Did I understand that correctly?”

With every word I spoke, Giel’s head sank lower, and his shoulders hunched bit by bit.

“…I have no excuse, Your Majesty.”

I had sent the entire Royal Knight Order, yet all they had to show for it was a half-baked Master, a dead Marquis who took his own life, and a handful of survivors from Lute, who were practically scarecrows in the grand scheme of things.

Suppressing a sigh, I continued.

“I can’t really blame you for this, can I? Ha, teleporting just by shattering a gem. Where on earth did something like that come from?”

“Is it a magic you’re familiar with, Your Majesty?”

“I’m not particularly well-versed in spatial magic. To be precise, I think we’ll need to talk to Sir Kraol about this.”

In The Chronicles of Xian, there are countless branches of magic, including those that become

even more powerful when paired with a particular medium.

Among them, jewels are considered exceptionally rare conduits. If a mage who specializes in spatial or gem-based magic devoted enough effort, it wouldn’t be impossible to create such a jewel.

‘But… is there a mage like that on the continent right now?’

I wasn’t sure.

The Magic Tower wasn’t heavily featured in The Chronicles of Xian, aside from a few named NPCs like the elves and beastfolk.

And since I learned magic outside the tower, I didn’t know much about the mages affiliated with it.

“Well, for now, I understand. You’ve worked hard. Go get some rest. Oh, and pay Frio.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Seeing Giel grit his teeth as he answered made me feel a bit sorry for Frio . But then again…

What can I do? He brought this upon himself.

_____________________________

“You called for me, Your Majesty.”

“Welcome, Sir Kraol.”

The leader of the Imperial Mage Corps.

An elder of the Magic Tower.

One of the five mages considered closest to becoming an Archmage.

After summoning him, I shared the details I’d heard from Giel.

“Hmm, spatial magic using a jewel as a medium,” Kraol murmured, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

After a brief pause, he finally spoke.

“If it were the Tower Master, it would certainly be possible.”

“Of course it would.”

“And naturally, the Grand Duke of the North could achieve it as well.”

“I didn’t call you here to state the obvious,” I snapped, irritation creeping into my voice.

Sir Kraol chuckled at my response before continuing.

“Your Majesty, the truth is, magic using jewels as mediums has long been obsolete.”

“Is that so?”

In The Chronicles of Xian, it was one of the more popular growth paths. Jewel magic was versatile and potent—when used correctly, it could be nearly all-powerful.

Sure, the cost of jewels was a drawback, but if you made good use of hidden pieces…

Ah.

“While it might not seem that way to Your Majesty, the cost of jewels is quite substantial,” Kraol said, fiddling with the ruby brooch pinned to his robes.

“Creating magical artifacts like this is one thing, but using jewels as consumables in magic? That’s not something just anyone can do. If you use lesser jewels, the efficiency plummets. And if you use top-grade gems, the expense would be unsustainable.”

“Even in the Mage Tower, the school that mainly focuses on jewel magic has long since ceased to exist. It’s been a long time since it has become such a magic that ignorant idiots get off their feet or disgrace themselves by touching it little by little.”

Hmm.

“So the very fact that they’re using jewel magic could be a clue to identifying them.”

“Exactly, Your Majesty. It’s not basic elemental magic. If they’ve embedded spatial magic into a jewel, that means their expertise in jewel magic is no small feat.”

“Good. I’ll have the intelligence department gather information on jewel magic. You should also request any relevant information from the Magic Tower.”

“Without question, Your Majesty.”

____________________

“Magic, huh...”

After sending Kraol off, I sat alone in my office, lost in thought.

I’d been swept up in one issue after another lately, leaving me no time to continue my training.

But with these unexpected events popping up more frequently, I wondered if I should resume it.

‘Well, it can’t hurt to get stronger.’

Considering the wars that lay ahead, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to set aside state affairs for a while and focus on training. If I could reach the level of an Archmage, there’d be no need to waste resources on my personal guard anymore, and if push came to shove, I could lead a campaign myself.

If I could free up the Masters currently guarding me and send them to the front lines, it’d certainly be worth putting off matters of state for a bit.

And what about personally leading an army again?

During the last war, the soldiers’ morale skyrocketed when I took the field.

Of course, I nearly got killed, and Duke Fael gave me an earful afterward, swearing I’d never do it again.

‘Maybe I should head north for a bit.’

The only problem was that there was no one to manage the government in my absence.

Typically, when the emperor is away, other members of the royal family or the Speaker of the Assembly handle the state affairs…

But I’d dissolved the Assembly, so that was out of the question.

As for handing over the reins to Rael, that wouldn’t be feasible either.

“Is there no one I can trust…?”

Ah, right. I still have my mother’s family.

“Chamberlain.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Send word to the Marquis of Grepha. Tell him I have urgent matters to discuss, and he should come to the capital at once.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

____________________________________

“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

“It’s been a while, Fried.”

Less than three days after I sent word, Marquis Fried Grepha had arrived in the capital.

Fried, my cousin and close to my age, was one of the few people I considered a friend, along with Xian.

When we were young, the three of us—Fried, Duke Triell, and I—often spent time together.

“Fried, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Command me, Your Majesty.”

“I want you to take up the position of Regent.”

“...Pardon?”

For a moment, Fried just stared at me, dumbfounded. Then, with a frown, he said,

“Are you out of your mind?”

“That’s disrespectful.”

“Seriously, Your Majesty. You’re not gravely ill, and you’re not abdicating to your heir, so what’s this nonsense about a regency?”

“I plan to head north for a while.”

“The north…?”

“Yes. But I can’t leave without someone to handle state affairs in my absence.”

“Why not leave it to Duke Fael? He doesn’t seem to have much going on these days.”

“Duke Fael… you know as well as I do.”

Though Fael  was fiercely loyal and strong in battle, he wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Not someone I could entrust with running the empire.

“Well, that’s true…” Fried trailed off, realizing he wasn’t serious with that suggestion.

“I’m counting on you.”

“And if I take up the regency, who’s going to manage the West while I’m here?”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

Watching Fried’s face twist in frustration, I couldn’t help but smirk just a little.

——————————————-

‘I really can’t stay here long. Three months. At most, I can manage three months. Please come back as soon as possible.’

Even though he kept grumbling to the end, my cousin eventually agreed to take on the regency.

I instructed him to hold off on dealing with the Marquis of Gior and the Lute situation until I returned, as those matters required my direct attention. Everything else, however, I could safely leave in his hands.

As the Marquis of Grepha, Fried had been governing the entire western region, so he was more than capable. Plus, I’d already informed my subordinates to offer him their full cooperation. He should be able to handle things just fine.

Fried was one of the few nobles, along with Xian and Duke Fael, whom I trusted implicitly.

With the regency settled, I turned my attention to preparing for my journey to the north.

I informed Dia, Giel, and Feltz about the trip.

“The north…? You mean the north, Your Majesty? Ah, yes. Because of the magic. Understood, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, what about your guard? If I may suggest, take that fool Frio  with you. A little suffering in the freezing north might finally knock some sense into him.”

“The north… I understand. As for your guard, if it’s Frio , then I have no concerns. Safe travels, Your Majesty.”

Finally, I made my way to meet Duke Fael.

Strictly speaking, there was no need to inform him, but I knew that if I left without saying anything, he’d be quite upset when I returned.

As I entered the dining hall, I saw the duke already seated.

“Ah, Your Majesty.”

“You arrived early.”

“Well, now that the war’s over, I’m just a good-for-nothing. It seems you’re still quite busy, though.”

“Don’t even get me started.”

As I sat down, the attendants began serving the meal.

Over lunch, I filled the duke in on everything that had happened recently.

“…And so, I plan to head to the north to continue my training.”

“The north, is it? How long do you plan to train?”

Recalling my cousin’s words, I replied to the duke,

“I expect to return after about half a year of training.”