Days had passed since Cassian's reckless and bloody massacre.

The streets of Veythral had returned to normal; the brief chaos created by the freed slaves and beasts had been suppressed by the swift intervention of the city guard.

But beneath this surface calm, the rumble of an approaching storm could be felt.

The Imperial investigation team had finally arrived in Veythral.

Fredrinn had assigned Rose and Eric the task of greeting them.

They were the only ones in Veythral he trusted and deemed suitable for this delicate diplomatic mission.

At the city's Main Gate stood an ostentatious carriage, adorned with gold leaf, upon which the Imperial crest shone with pride.

The carriage was guarded by four elite knights, clad in armor bearing the same crest, each clearly a warrior of the Fourth or Fifth Star level.

They were not to be underestimated, each man a small army unto himself.

In a free city like Veythral, warriors of this caliber were a rare sight.

One of the knights opened the carriage door with a respectful air.

From within, two men of entirely different appearances disembarked.

One was a middle-aged man who drew attention with his golden-blond hair and eyes of the same color, wearing the white and gold-embroidered vestments that identified him as a clergyman of the Holy Church.

The other had ordinary-looking black hair and brown eyes; though he too wore the Imperial crest, his posture and gaze revealed him to be an elite, specially chosen for this task.

They stepped down from the carriage with an elegance and self-confidence ingrained in their every move.

Eric and Rose took two steps forward to meet them.

It was Rose, who had received Fredrinn's instructions as the group's leader, who initiated the conversation.

"Our esteemed guests from the Empire, welcome to Veythral. Lord Fredrinn has personally tasked us with receiving you. I am Rose, and this is Eric, Lord Fredrinn's most trusted aides."

The priest studied their surroundings instead of replying, while the other man in the Imperial crest stepped forward.

His voice held a clear arrogance hidden beneath a veneer of courtesy.

"Thank you for your kind welcome. I am William Gicdillax, commissioned by Second Prince Charles himself to investigate this matter. And beside me stands Priest Andreas of the Holy Church."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over Rose and Eric with a dismissive air.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, but... does Lord Fredrinn have more pressing matters than to greet us himself? I assume he is aware that we come representing the Empire."

Rose placed a smile on her face, one that strived to appear both professional and sincere.

She knew well how to deal with arrogant nobles of his sort.

"Lord Fredrinn is an exceedingly busy man. The very fact that he chose us to welcome you is a testament to the importance he places on this matter."

William chuckled, his tone laced with mockery.

"Pardon me, but I noticed you introduced yourselves as if you were someone of importance. I had taken you for common mercenaries. Or are you a noble in disguise? If so, then I might find some value in your words."

Rose fought to show no reaction to the blatant insult, maintaining the image of a lady, her composure unshaken.

But she could not hide the stinging edge in her voice.

"I had thought those who served the Empire to be more intelligent. How amusing that a group of helpless beings, who hide behind the lower classes in battle, see themselves as superior to others simply because they have a surname."

She paused, looking William directly in the eye.

"Oh, and as for my importance... I serve the lord of this region, Lord Fredrinn. That is reason enough for me to consider myself important. Of course, nobles who sell their honor for a few pieces of gold and social status thrown their way wouldn't understand that. I trust our distinguished guests are not of that sort... or am I mistaken?"

A muscle in William's jaw twitched.

He was a man of significant standing in the Empire, a respected figure. And now, in what he considered a barbaric land, he was being verbally assaulted by a foolish mercenary.

Where he came from, speaking to a noble in such a manner would not go unpunished.

But William glanced around again. Yes, this was not the place he came from.

This was Veythral, the free city. They bowed to no one.

And now, he was a guest in their lands. He could not push things too far unnecessarily.

After all, he was not here for himself, but for the Second Prince. He was his representative.

Priest Andreas intervened to defuse the situation.

"Ahaha! Of course, my lady. William is not the sort of person Lady Rose speaks of. He must simply be a little tense from the long journey. Please, pay him no mind."

He turned to Rose with a smile.

"If you would, could you show us to our lodgings before we meet with Lord Fredrinn? We are in need of some rest. When evening comes, we would like to present ourselves before him."

Eric spoke up.

"Of course. Allow me to show you the way."

Following the unpleasant welcome, Eric and Rose settled the guests in their quarters and returned to Fredrinn's side.

During this time, Cassian was being held under the strict watch of Rod and Kael.

Fredrinn would not allow Cassian to cause any more trouble during these critical days.

Until the Imperial investigation team left the city, Cassian was not to be left alone.

In his room at the inn, Cassian lay on the bed, holding an old book.

Nivelle, curled up on his chest, was looking at the book with him.

They needed something to do to ward off the boredom of this forced confinement.

On the other side of the room, Rod and Kael sat on two chairs, watching Cassian.

Kael had his head buried on the table, looking utterly dejected. He had been rejected by the girl he had dreamed of for so long.

Rod, who would normally have taken pleasure in teasing him, saw how truly upset Kael was and refrained, instead staring silently out the window.

Cassian spoke without taking his eyes off the book.

"I want some fruit juice."

Hearing the words "fruit juice," Nivelle perked up instantly.

"Big brother, I want some too!"

Cassian murmured, "Nivelle, for a fairy who has no need of things like food and water, you're becoming quite the glutton. If you keep this up, you'll get too fat to fly."

"No! I... I don't gain weight! Fairies don't gain weight anyway!" Nivelle tried to defend herself desperately.

Cassian called out to the pair on the other side of the room.

"Hey, you two! Bring us two fruit juices. Make sure they're cold."

Kael mumbled without lifting his head from the table.

"We're not your servants."

"Yes, you're not. But as you know, I can't leave this room. So, get your ass up and bring me what I asked for."

Rod spoke to Kael.

"I'll get it, you stay put."

After Rod left the room, Cassian called out to Kael.

"Did Fredrinn tell you how much longer he plans to keep me in this room? I'm starting to get bored."

Kael spoke without lifting his head.

"Are you kidding? You've only been in this room for three hours. At best, you'll have to stay here for another two days."

"Yes, yes, I know. But believe me, I've spent a large part of my life between four walls. Let's just say I'm not on the best of terms with enclosed spaces."

"Are you an ex-convict or something?" Kael asked, his curiosity piqued. "You don't even look much older than me."

"Ahh, that's a long story. Perhaps I can tell it to you some other time, over a glass of fruit juice."

Cassian's eyes roamed the room.

"When I get out of here, of course."

When evening arrived, Eric and Rose came to escort the guests to Fredrinn's presence.

Eric and the four Imperial guards stopped to wait outside Veythral's main building, the 'Ruler's Keep.'

William eyed the building with a look of contempt.

Yes, it was a far cry from a 'keep.'

It was only slightly larger than an ordinary two-story house, though the quality of the stone and its architecture were well-executed.

The only reason the building was called the 'Ruler's Keep' was that Fredrinn lived inside.

Rose guided Priest Andreas and William through the building.

When they reached Fredrinn's study, Rose knocked gently on the door.

After receiving permission to enter from Fredrinn, Rose went in first, followed by the guests.

After presenting the guests to Fredrinn, Rose left them alone at his request.

William and the Priest gave a slight bow before Fredrinn.

"Lord Fredrinn, I am William Gicdillax. I have been commissioned by Second Prince Charles to investigate the unpleasant incident that has occurred in your region. This is Priest Andreas. We thank you for hosting us."

Fredrinn did not even rise from the large, ornate chair behind his desk.

He simply gestured with his hand toward two old, wooden chairs that stood before it.

William hesitated to sit.

This barbarian Lord had not greeted them properly, and now he deemed these two old, uncomfortable chairs suitable for them?

This was blatant disrespect.

Priest Andreas, however, paid it no mind.

He calmly moved to one of the chairs and sat down.

Fulfilling the purpose of their visit was far more important than his honor.

After all, his head was more valuable than his honor.

Prince Charles had no tolerance for failure..

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