Duke Blake expected to see a flustered expression on Ian’s face, but instead, Ian simply smiled back at the Duke and responded.
“Not bad at all.”
After pricking his finger and completing the signature, Ian watched as the magical contract floated in the air, emitting a soft glow. Even though Ian couldn’t feel mana, he sensed a cool sensation near his heart.
“There aren’t many contracts like this in the Empire. It’s impressive that you have one.”
“How could I be anything but thoroughly prepared when negotiating with the Duke?”
“I see. I’ll have to ensure I’m even more meticulous in the future.”
“Then I’ll take it that you won’t be interfering further in the tax embezzlement case.”
“Remember, I’m the one who won’t interfere further in the case, not His Majesty. Don’t forget that.”
“I’ll also keep a close eye on Baron Dalent for the next three months.”
As Duke Blake turned to leave after making his farewell, Ian added a parting remark.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have another gift prepared for you in the meantime.”
Hearing Ian’s comment, Duke Blake turned around and said,
“I look forward to our meeting in three months, Your Highness.”
Despite the loaded implication in Duke Blake’s words, Ian remained calm, waving him off with a composed expression.
After confirming that Duke Blake had exited the palace, Ian let out a sigh of relief. He had gained a lot from the negotiation.
“Three months of time.”
“The absence of physical threats.”
Duke Blake had made a grave mistake by giving Ian three months without any physical threats. He would regret this decision for a long time to come.
Satisfied with how the negotiation ended, Ian instructed Tom to summon Baron Dalent.
There wasn’t a moment to waste.
“Did you call for me, Your Highness?”
***
Ian spoke as he looked at Baron Dalent, who had almost immediately arrived after being summoned.
“You knew I was going to call for you?”
“I was waiting, expecting that you might take me along for your negotiation with Duke Blake.”
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore.”
Baron Dalent, surprised by Ian’s words, asked,
“You’ve already concluded the negotiations with Duke Blake. Were you satisfied with the outcome?”
“I gained time and security. You don’t need to worry about your mother’s or your own safety anymore.”
“Thank you once again, Your Highness.”
As Baron Dalent moved to bow deeply in gratitude, Ian quickly stepped forward to stop him.
“If you show such excessive courtesy, it’ll be difficult for me to assign you tasks, won’t it?”
“Please, use me as you see fit. I’m ready to go to hell if it’s at your command.”
“Then let’s talk about the work I have for you.”
“What would you have me do?”
“You’ll need to go to hell.”
At Ian’s words, Baron Dalent tensed up.
“By hell, do you mean the ‘Ferno Estate’?”
True to his competence, he caught on quickly.
“That’s right. It’s a place unsuitable for farming, plagued by frequent conflicts with nearby non-human races. It’s a territory that no noble desires.”
“I’ve heard the rumors. If you entrust it to me, I’ll do my best.”
“Good. I also believe it’s better for you to head out than to remain in the capital, where you might clash with the noble faction.”
“I appreciate your consideration, Your Highness. What would you like me to do?”
“I plan to appoint you as the lord of the Ferno Estate.”
Though Baron Dalent was inwardly surprised at the mention of being a ‘lord,’ he maintained a composed exterior.
“You don’t seem particularly shocked.”
“How could I interrupt when my liege is speaking?”
Hearing Baron Dalent refer to him as ‘liege,’ Ian felt a subtle yet profound emotion stir within him. It was a completely different feeling from when a new employee or intern addressed him respectfully.
‘Liege… I don’t mind that at all.’
“The Ferno Estate will become the cornerstone and central stronghold as our influence grows. I want you to go there and establish a plan to make it so.”
“How much time do I have?”
“Three months.”
Ian calculated that, according to his plan, he could secure the Ferno Estate from the Emperor within a month, or at most three months.
“Three months… A long time if long, and short if short. Can you give me a hint about what potential you see in that estate?”
Even in such a short time, Baron Dalent had learned from being around Ian. He knew that the Third Prince never pursued anything without a reason.
“There lies the power to shift the balance of the Empire.”
Baron Dalent unconsciously swallowed as Ian spoke. He then looked at Ian with eyes filled with respect for entrusting him with such an important mission.
“Thank you for entrusting me with such a significant task. I’ll accomplish it with a resolve to die if necessary.”
Ian’s heart warmed at Baron Dalent’s determined tone. But since he wasn’t the one going to the estate himself, Ian decided to offer some caution—excessive enthusiasm could sometimes lead to mistakes.
“What I want to see is the big picture of what can be done through the Ferno Estate. Concrete results can wait until you’ve officially become the lord.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“And remember, under no circumstances should you enter the Forbidden Zone within the Ferno Estate.”
‘One mistake there could mean instant death.’
Baron Dalent nodded at Ian’s warning.
“And don’t worry about your mother. I’ll speak to the Medison family.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“I’ll make arrangements with the Medison family so you can take a few doses of the Black Death treatment with you. Your relatives might have contracted the disease as well.”
“I’ll do as you say. If the situation is dire, I’ll request immediate assistance from the Medison family.”
“A wise decision. If the Black Death has spread significantly, prioritize saving the people of that territory. They will become your subjects in the future.”
“I understand, Your Highness. Is there anything else you would have me do?”
“Nothing for now.”
After receiving Ian’s final words, Baron Dalent bowed deeply once more and left the Third Prince’s palace.
Though the prospect of going to ‘hell’ filled him with fear, Baron Dalent was ready to face a place far worse than hell for the Third Prince, who had saved both his and his mother’s lives.
***
Count Medison and his daughter Catherine were busy preparing to mass-produce the Black Death treatment.
“Father, I think it would be better to reduce the proportion of the Blue Fungus a bit.”
“You think the problem lies with the amount of Blue Fungus rather than the other ingredients?”
“Yes, I believe that too much Blue Fungus might weaken the effects of the other ingredients.”
As they engaged in a heated debate about the mass production process, Catherine asked her father,
“Father, how do you think the Third Prince discovered this?”
“He said someone from a polite nation in the East told him about it, didn’t he?”
“I’ve heard of such a country, but people still doubt its existence.”
Catherine, still puzzled, began to voice her suspicions.
“And isn’t it strange that such a person would know about the cure for the Black Death? From what I understand, that disease emerged over three hundred years ago.”
“Is that the important thing?”
When Count Medison asked softly, Catherine replied,
“Father, our family has spent three hundred years developing a cure for the Black Death. Does it make sense that the Third Prince, once known as a scoundrel, could suddenly bring us the key ingredient?”
As she stirred a jar filled with the raw ingredients for the treatment, Count Medison responded to his curious daughter.
“Catherine, what’s important is not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“That we can save countless lives with this medicine. Isn’t that right?”
Looking at her father, who spoke to her in a warm voice, Catherine nodded in agreement.
“I’m not denying that. Without the Third Prince, we wouldn’t have been able to save Baron Dalent’s mother. As a physician, I’m grateful that the Third Prince revealed the key ingredient to us.”
“Then we should do our best accordingly, shouldn’t we?”
“It’s just that when I looked into the rumors about the Third Prince through the servants, there were some strange things being said.”
Curious as well, Count Medison didn’t stop his daughter from speaking further about the Third Prince.
“They say that just a month ago, he was a scoundrel, but now he’s completely different. They also say he’s been creating amazing devices that contribute greatly to the Empire’s administration.”
“Well, didn’t our ancestors always tell us? Never believe what you hear until you see it with your own eyes.”
“But, Father, isn’t it surprising that he made a device that can find hidden objects? I heard that’s what the Third Prince invented.”
“A device that can find hidden objects…”
Count Medison thought that he would need to be cautious when meeting the Third Prince again. It wouldn’t do to invite any unnecessary misunderstandings.
“And then there’s something called a scanner and a pad? I heard that these were also developed by the Third Prince, and that the Empire’s officials were stunned when they saw them.”
“Scanner and pad… That’s new to me as well. We don’t participate in internal affairs meetings, so it’s not surprising.”
“I heard from a friend of a friend that even the Chancellor was astonished when he saw the Third Prince’s inventions. They said it was the first time they’d seen the Chancellor so enamored with anything.”
Hearing his daughter, Count Medison recalled the time he had met with the Chancellor. Despite his white hair, the Chancellor’s black eyes had been chillingly cold.
The Count had barely managed to look at the Chancellor, whose piercing gaze seemed to see right through him. In matters of work, the Chancellor was utterly merciless. The Count remembered how much he had been reprimanded for a small error in the accounting of medicinal supplies.
“My dear, you may believe those rumors because you haven’t met the Chancellor. But the Chancellor is not someone who would act that way.”
“Oh, Father, you’ve met the Chancellor yourself? But according to what I heard about the internal affairs meeting, and what the Chancellor’s maid said, the Chancellor is quite fond of the Third Prince.”
“It’s good that you’ve gathered information about the Third Prince, but don’t put too much stock in rumors. We must always believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes.”
After giving his daughter a small piece of advice, the Count asked her,
“Catherine, when did you manage to find out so much about the Third Prince? You’ve hardly had time to sleep with all the preparations for mass production.”
“Well, you know, Father, since our family is now contractually bound to the Third Prince, I thought it was necessary to thoroughly investigate our counterpart.”
“That’s not a bad approach. But be cautious around the Third Prince. When you’re involved with the royal family… you can’t avoid the storm.”
Seeing the worried expression on her father’s face, Catherine decided to focus on the mass production of the treatment.
Right now, the most important thing was to prevent the possible spread of the epidemic.
And before long, the Black Death treatment, ‘White,’ created by the Medison family, would become an invaluable weapon for Ian.
Cliche Novel 