Chapter 41.1

The imperial palace, the heart of the Ragoit Empire, was enveloped in an icy silence.

“You initially claimed that the northern weeds, a key ingredient for Arad Salt, would see a dramatic decrease in yield,” broke the silence, the voice of Crown Prince Canbraman.

“You even assured me that the northern farmlands would be devastated and that public sentiment in the North would collapse.”

The Crown Prince continued, his tone sharp.

“And yet, what are the results now?”

Despite the Crown Prince’s interrogation, a cold stillness persisted in the room.

“Do you have any idea how much gold was spent on this operation?”

Truthfully, considering the scale of the operation, the expenditure wasn’t excessive.

However, neither Chancellor Karaso nor the head of Sigma, Astra, dared to voice this fact.

“Even Duke Yulcanes, the Tower Master, halted his research to lend a hand with this endeavor.”

Indeed, the largest resource the Empire had poured into this scheme was likely the labor costs of Duke Yulcanes.

Of course, Karaso and Astra dared not utter a single word in response to this observation.

“That’s not all, is it? Astra, Head of Sigma, why don’t you tell me?”

“Pardon…?”

“You went all the way to the North yourself, didn’t you, wearing that ridiculous mask?”

“…Y-Yes, Your Highness. That is correct.”

Astra, whose name had now been mentioned directly, began to sweat profusely, his knees weakening.

“How, then, is it possible that an operation involving the Empire’s core resources has resulted in a situation even worse than before?”

Sure enough, the Crown Prince’s searing gaze was now fixed squarely on Astra.

“T-That is… it was entirely unforeseen—due to something called Mary’s Blessing…”

“Mary’s Blessing? How could such a fertilizer possibly be created overnight? And through mere prayer, no less?”

“It’s—it’s undoubtedly a fraud, Your Highness! There’s no way it’s due to prayer!”

At the Crown Prince’s words, Astra shouted desperately.

“Fraud, you say? Are you certain?”

“Yes, Your Highness! The fertilizer we managed to obtain contained no trace of divine power.”

“Then why? Why, in the name of all the gods, are crops thriving on land that has completely lost its fertility?”

“…”

“And what is this Renslet Faith about? How has a unified religion—something that should never arise in the North—suddenly come into existence?”

At last, the inevitable outburst came.

The Crown Prince’s pent-up frustration and fury erupted all at once, like a volcanic explosion.

“Hahh… I… am beginning to suspect.”

The Crown Prince’s voice, now somewhat calmer after his outburst, pressed down on the assembly hall.

“Suspect.”

As he said this, he made a gesture with his hand.

Step, step, step, step.

At his signal, the Royal Chief Butler and palace guards approached, dragging the trembling Astra out of his seat.

“Y-Your Highness! I’m innocent! Innocent! I did my utmost, Your Highness!”

Astra’s desperate pleas echoed in the hall, gradually fading into the distance.

“The position of Head of Sigma will be temporarily filled by Chief Butler Ricard.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

When Ricard, who had dragged Astra away, returned to the chamber, the Crown Prince gave him a curt order.

“As for Astra’s family, it would be wise to leave them untouched, wouldn’t it?”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s profound generosity.”

In truth, Canbraman knew full well that Astra was not to blame for the failure of this operation.

But politics demanded scapegoats and exemplary punishments.

Astra’s purge would send different messages both inside and outside the Empire.

Internally, it served as a cautionary tale. Externally, it was a mere act of trimming the tail.

And the external recipient of that message? Naturally, it was the North. It was a precaution against any emissary from the North seeking to raise grievances over the matter.

‘How has it come to this, that the Empire is walking on eggshells? Were my bedridden father to see this, he would have slapped me across the face.’

To Canbraman, this absurd situation felt like nothing but a bad dream.

The Empire, with its population, territory, economic strength, technology, and magic—all superior by hundreds or even thousands of times—was reduced to tiptoeing around a mere frontier duchy.

Of course, an impartial observer would only shake their head, calling it the Empire’s just deserts.

The meeting in the great hall resumed shortly, as if nothing had just occurred.

“So, is it Arad again this time?”

“That seems most likely, Your Highness.”

The next topic of discussion was, quite predictably, the man known as Arad Jin.

A mysterious genius who had appeared like a comet in the North one day.

A commoner who, in the blink of an eye, rose to the rank of count.

Above all, a man with knowledge and talents so vast and unfathomable that neither his origins nor his limits could be discerned.

“Who exactly is this man? Could he truly be a secret weapon developed by the Renslet family?”

“I do not believe he is a secret weapon from Renslet.”

At the Crown Prince’s query, Ricard, the newly appointed head of Sigma, responded.

“Then what?”

“A low-ranking adventurer who happened upon a new Golden Age Dungeon, perhaps. That would be my assessment.”

“Hmm… In that case, is it possible to recruit this Arad?”

“Regrettably, even making contact with him is difficult at the moment. Due to recent events, all northern nobles colluding with us have been purged. Not only the High Tower but the entirety of our intelligence network in the North has been obliterated.”

“Are there no Imperial merchants or adventurers in the North? Or Sigma agents in disguise?”

“After the recent events, their movements are also heavily restricted. No Imperial individual can currently operate freely in the North.”

“What about Haven?”

“The city of Haven, too, seems subdued at the moment. It appears that almost all Imperial citizens are under surveillance.”

For a fleeting moment, Crown Prince Canbraman was seized by the urge to order the annihilation of Astra’s family as well.

“It will take time for things to settle down.”

“We are honored by Your Highness’s wisdom.”

Suppressing his emotions, his brow furrowed deeply, Canbraman posed another question.

“If contact with him becomes possible, can we recruit him?”

“That would be difficult, Your Highness.”

“And why is that?”

“From what I can discern, Count Arad Jin seems to be aiding the North with a specific purpose in mind.”

“Couldn’t we simply fulfill that purpose for him?”