Chapter 81: The Missing Courage

“Second brother, we’re almost at the Imperial Capital now. Are you still going back? Uncle Ao De Xiu Si stayed at Windwhisper Fortress, after all.”

“That’s because of His Majesty’s orders. To guard against the increasingly active Orc tribes, the Marshal must be stationed at Windwhisper Fortress to prepare for unforeseen events.”

“But I’m just a small squad captain. I’m not important enough to have to stay at the fortress. Instead of watching those boring military drills there, it’s better to escort you home and avoid any more accidents on the way.”

“What accidents could happen when we’re almost at the Imperial Capital?”

Winnidith felt a little speechless.

At this point, he might as well just admit he was worried about her.

It wasn’t like she’d make fun of him, was it?

And it wasn’t that she cared about why he wasn’t going back.

She cared about her second brother’s personal safety!

Considering how her entire family dropped in intelligence the moment she was involved, Winnidith had to make things clearer.

“Second brother, did you forget that Uncle Victor said you weren’t allowed to set foot in the Imperial Capital?”

Theodore’s body stiffened in the saddle.

He really had forgotten about that.

Now what?

Have Eleanor escort Winnidith home alone while he returned to the fortress by himself?

He hesitated.

On one hand, he’d already seen her to the gates of the Imperial Capital, and he really hadn’t seen his family in Trenton for years.

On the other hand, it was the Emperor’s order that forbade him from entering the Imperial Capital.

If he entered the city without reporting it, wouldn’t that cause trouble for Trenton and the royal family?

Fortunately, his worries were completely unnecessary.

“Don’t worry. Father once told Uncle Joestar that his order for you to leave was just to shut up Duke Vincent. As long as you don’t cause any major commotion in the city, you can return to the Imperial Capital whenever you want.”

Isabella looked at the embarrassed Theodore with a smile in her eyes.

“I just didn’t expect you to actually hold out for a whole year without coming home. Because of this, Father is a bit less imposing when facing Uncle Joestar in private.”

After all, Duke Vincent could only be made a duke because his contributions only merited that title.

But Duke of Trenton became a duke because the highest title below the royal family was duke.

Whenever the Trenton family clashed with any other family, the royal family would always side with Trenton.

Even if Theodore had simply stolen the eldest son of Vincent’s treasure, or even killed him on the spot, the worst the royal family would do was throw him in jail for a symbolic half year, then let him out on some excuse once the storm passed.

As for Vincent, the royal family had already compensated them with two pieces of jewelry of equal value.

If they couldn’t read the room, they wouldn’t have earned the title of duke in the first place.

“You make the Trenton family sound like a bunch of lawless bandits.”

Winnidith silently grumbled.

Isabella just smiled and didn’t refute.

After all, there were indeed people in the common folk who called the Trentons the “Silver-Haired Bandits.”

“Your Majesty, although this journey to the Natural Forest faced many setbacks, thanks to the efforts of Her Highness the Princess and Lady Winnidith, we have successfully honored our mission and reached the following agreements with the new Elven King, Astria.”

“First: The Natural Forest allows the Empire to establish a base at the Living Root Station and permits the Empire to station its own guard forces.”

“Second: The Natural Forest agrees to establish a trade route with the Empire. The Empire shall be responsible for constructing the route, and trade profits shall be split fifty-fifty.”

“Third: The Natural Forest has agreed to the Exchange Student Program. An initial plan has been made for a three-year student exchange with the Royal Academy of Magic.”

“Fourth: The Natural Forest will…”

Today, all the nobles of the Imperial Capital had gathered in the Mirror Hall to welcome the delegation’s return.

They knew the delegation had encountered major mishaps on this trip to the Natural Forest, but official accounts of what exactly happened were still scarce.

Some said there was a rebellion within the elven race, with the Sacred Wood Monastery openly revolting.

Others said the Alendine Kingdom had joined forces with the Orc tribes for an invasion.

Even more outlandish rumors claimed the previous generation had exploded along with the Sacred Tree—no one knew which version was true.

So upon hearing that the delegation had returned to the Imperial Capital today, they all rushed over, hoping to get the first details of the journey.

But to their disappointment, the minister in charge of reporting only recounted the gains of the mission, without a single word about what had happened.

“I understand. You have worked hard.”

After he finished, Victor, the Emperor of the Robert Empire, nodded calmly.

“Your rewards will be announced by the Royal Knights in one day. If there is nothing else, you may withdraw.”

“As you command.”

Unfortunately, even as the delegation members filed out, the nobles of the Imperial Capital had not learned a single detail.

But seeing the increasingly hostile looks from the surrounding Royal Knights, they had no choice but to slink out of the Imperial Palace and find their own ways to seek answers.

What?

You ask why Princess Isabella and Lady Winnidith didn’t leave?

Well, everyone understood their status.

How could they be compared to outsiders?

When only Isabella, Winnidith, and a few Royal Knights remained in the Mirror Hall, Isabella finally spoke.

“Father.”

But before she could say more, Victor rose from the throne.

“Follow me. I will answer all your questions in the Bright Hall.”

Isabella and Winnidith exchanged glances and followed.

Compared to the Mirror Hall, which was used for gathering officials, the Bright Hall was more like a private study.

Victor sat on the sofa in the center of the room and gestured for the two women to sit across from him.

“I already know what happened in the Natural Forest. You did well this time. I should have given you some rewards. But I figured you probably wouldn’t appreciate treasures or the like, so I prepared something special.”

Victor pointed to a silk scroll and a book nearly four inches thick placed on the crystal table.

“The silk scroll is for Isabella. The book is for Winnidith. You may open and look at them now.”

A book?

A silk scroll?

What kind of reward was this?

Curious, Winnidith opened the book and found it was less like a book and more like someone’s diary.

“This is the diary of Claudius Robert, the first Emperor of the Empire. It records everything he experienced from the time he became a general of Saint-Vien to when he abdicated the throne—decades of events.”

“But the original is long worn out. What you have is a hand-copied version. Some words might be wrong, so be discerning when you read.”

The first Emperor’s diary?!!

Winnidith’s hands trembled.

If the first Emperor had truly recorded everything in his diary, then this diary served the same purpose as Leah’s crown!

This was the best channel for her to learn the truth about the Empire’s deities!

Winnidith carefully closed the book.

There was too much content; she planned to read and ponder it slowly after returning home.

She turned to look at Isabella.

If her reward was this important, then what Isabella received must surely be no ordinary item.

But what could be so valuable about a silk scroll?

Winnidith craned her neck curiously and saw that compared to what she had gotten, Isabella’s was just a single sentence and a red seal.

But that sentence and that red seal—Isabella had waited nineteen years for them.

“With this edict, you can declare to the Empire at any time that you are qualified to become an heir to the throne.”

Isabella’s palm trembled slightly, but she tried her best not to show her excitement in front of Victor.

She carefully rolled up the silk scroll.

She didn’t plan to announce it immediately.

Her influence in the Imperial Capital was far weaker than her two older brothers.

Announcing her bid for the throne at this moment would only put her in danger.

“These are the rewards I give you.”

Victor leaned back, seeming to relax.

“As for other questions you have, feel free to ask.”

“You have already touched upon the truth of the deities. There’s no point in hiding anything from you any longer.”

“Especially you, Winnidith. Your shoulders carry the future of the entire world. If there is still confusion in your heart, do not hesitate to seek my help. I will answer everything without reservation.”

Confusion?

That word stung Winnidith.

She was indeed somewhat confused.

Her dream had always been to eat, drink, and have fun, to live a carefree aristocratic life, thereby making up for the deficiencies of her previous life.

She had lived that way for the past fifteen years and thought it would continue forever.

Until this trip to the Natural Forest.

As soon as she arrived at the City of Emerald Shadows, she had felt Elaril’s murderous intent; after finding a solution, she accidentally acquired Spiritual Power; when she woke up and accompanied Isabella on a shopping trip, she witnessed a riot among the audience; seeking the truth at the Great Historical Archives, she encountered Leah being hunted; the next morning, she learned the whole truth from the crown; and afterward, she had to think about how to use Spiritual Power and refine the details of various battles.

She was like a grain of sand pushed forward by the waves of crisis and change.

Now she had finally returned to a safe little nest, but the world as she saw it was completely different.

The responsibility she bore was the exact opposite of her dream.

Now she stood at a crossroads in life.

She knew which path was right, but she lacked the courage to take that step.

Could Victor give her that courage?

Obviously not.

The only one who could give her courage was herself.