The news brought by Isabella threw Lorraine and the others into an absolute frenzy.
“Erich sent word. He said he's been discovered and is currently being hunted down.”
Before Isabella could even fan the flames any further, the young princess rushed back to Alen's office.
“Royal Brother!”
Alen was staring blankly at a pile of documents. Looking up to see his sister's face written with anxiety, he felt a sudden sinking feeling in his chest.
“Erich has been found and is being hunted down!” the young princess blurted out in one breath. “How did you guarantee it to me? You said nothing would happen to him. Is this your guarantee?”
Alen froze. While he had indeed privately arranged for a few people to track down Erich's whereabouts, he hadn't received even a whisper of wind regarding Erich being hunted down.
“Where did you get this news?”
“One of my classmates told me. She spoke with Erich directly.”
“I understand. Go back for now, and I will handle it.”
The young princess stared at him, as if trying to read something from his face. In the end, she spun around and left. Her temper flaring, she didn't even bother to close the door behind her.
Alen sat there, staring at the open door.
He truly didn't know about Erich being hunted down. But regardless of whether it was true or false, one thing was certain: if Erich was indeed being pursued, the pursuers were most likely from the Empress's side.
Alen hadn't originally wanted to fall out completely with the Empress, but things were different now. While the Edmond family hadn't directly expressed their stance on Erich being wanted, they had shown their dissatisfaction through their actions—nearly half of the ore shipments bound for Radiant City had been halted, under the pretext of bad weather.
Only a fool would believe it was the weather.
Those ores were the most critical source of raw materials for the alchemy workshops in Radiant City. Within just a few days of the stoppage, people were already crying out in misery, and this pressure was transmitted directly to Alen. He had previously felt that throwing Erich out as a scapegoat would count as giving the Empress an explanation to stabilize the situation for the time being. But now, it was clear that the Edmond family was not any easier to fool than the Empress.
It seemed the Empress was also growing anxious. As long as Erich was alive, there would be a loophole in her grand design. If Erich escaped, her scapegoat would be gone, and the wanted poster would become a joke. Thus, she had to capture him as quickly as possible. Whether it was to cement his guilt or silence him forever, she had to get this suspect into her hands.
Alen suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. Massaging his temples, he began to write a letter.
Since the Edmond family had already made their stance clear and the Empress was eager to make her move, there was no longer any point in him stepping back. When others stepped all over your face, failing to retaliate would only make the First Prince look like an easy target.
At the same time, in the Headmistress's office.
Lorraine hung entirely off Eleanor Villard's arm, her eyes brimming with tears. “Headmistress, you have to help Erich! He's been put on a wanted list, and that carries the death penalty! I saw it with my own eyes—he's not the killer!”
The corner of Eleanor's mouth twitched involuntarily. This child was far too accustomed to acting without any sense of propriety around her. Ever since enrolling, Lorraine had practically treated the Headmistress's office like her own living room.
“Headmistress! If you don't help him, he really will die!”
“Let go of me first.”
“I'll let go once you agree!”
Eleanor sighed. If one were to ask what her original attitude was, she had already been infuriated when she received the copy of the wanted warrant. However, having been the Headmistress for so many years, she had witnessed far too much and had long since understood that impulsiveness was the most useless thing of all.
Before Lorraine came to find her, Vivian had already paid a visit.
That maid of the Edmond family spoke with flawless discretion. But who was Eleanor? Having served as the Headmistress of Morningstar Academy for so many years, there was no subtext she couldn't read. Vivian had asked about Erich's studies, his recent situation, and his social circles. Every sentence was an inquiry, yet every word was measured with perfect restraint. Eleanor had gone in circles with her for a long time before Vivian finally rose to take her leave, departing with a single sentence: “I hear Master Erich has been doing well at the academy. Hearing this has brought great peace of mind to the family head.”
The Edmond family's attitude had been conveyed to her in this exact manner.
Thus, that afternoon, after Lorraine had been throwing a tantrum for over an hour and had cried herself nearly hoarse, Eleanor finally stood up and retrieved a crystal ball from a shelf.
“I can help you, but Morningstar Academy taking a stand is not because of you throwing a tantrum here. It is because I believe in my student.”
Lorraine's tears turned into a smile.
That evening, news spread through every street and alley of Radiant City: Eleanor Villard, Headmistress of Morningstar Academy, had publicly spoken out, declaring her belief in Erich's innocence.
Immediately following this, a petition was organized within the academy. Led by Irene and Balin, a group of students posted a joint letter on the academy's bulletin board, densely covered in signatures.
Some scoffed, saying what did a bunch of student brats know, and what use were signatures? However, the matter did reach the ears of His Imperial Majesty. The Emperor merely offered a noncommittal comment, “It is a good thing for young people to have passion,” and said no more.
The young princess was not idle either.
She didn't pin all her hopes on her royal brother. Ever since returning from Alen's office that day, she began to frequently visit some of the nobles in Radiant City, especially the moderates who weren't too close to the Empress but hadn't fully aligned with Alen either.
During every visit, as they chatted, she would casually bring up one particular matter:
Her Royal Pronouncement had made progress.
The Royal Pronouncement carried extraordinary weight within the empire's aristocratic circles. There were even claims that a sufficiently powerful member of the imperial family could command vassals using the power of their bloodline; at its peak strength, even the most defiant border grand dukes would bow and obey.
The tolerance of many families toward the Empress had already reached a tipping point. Over the years, the Lombard family in the southwest had used their connections with the Empress to behave with increasingly ugly greed. While people kept quiet, they were all keeping score in their hearts.
Consequently, after a few of the young princess's visits, several households indeed began to waver, privately expressing their willingness to support her. The numbers weren't large, but once the news reached the Lombard family, it was enough to keep them from sleeping soundly.
On the surface, Radiant City was as prosperous as ever, but underneath, the tension was slowly tightening.
While undercurrents surged in Radiant City, Erich was taking a nap against the roots of a withered tree.
The caravan had reached the vicinity of a river valley and was currently resting. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves echoed from all directions, kicking up a cloud of dust. Carla stood on top of a carriage, her pitch-black wings slightly unfurled, her eyes alert. “Someone's surrounding us.”
Erich had already sensed them.
If one were to ask how strong these people were, they weren't necessarily formidable. The leader's strength was roughly at the level of a third-tier mage, while the rest weren't even third-tier. This would be considered decent among adventurers and solid in the military, but if they were coming for him, they were somewhat lacking.
Erich took hold of his staff and stepped out of the carriage to confront the newcomers.
Seeing someone emerge, the leader gestured with his hand, and the men behind him fanned out to both sides, faintly forming a surrounding formation.
“Are you Erich?”
“What do you want with me?”
“Orders from above. We'll have to trouble you to come with us.” The man's hand was already resting on his weapon. “You're a wanted criminal, so you must be well aware of your situation. I don't want to resort to violence, so it's best if you don't make this difficult for me.”
Erich raised his staff, and mana surged. Immediately afterward, a patch of pitch-black clouds condensed overhead, with fine crackles of lightning darting between the layers, causing the air to turn stiflingly heavy.
Every single member of the pursuit squad paled instantly.
That fluctuation of mana was not something they could withstand. A second-tier mage releasing this kind of pressure? Wrong, completely wrong! The intelligence department was truly a bunch of useless freeloaders!
The leader's face turned ashen. He was just about to say something to save face when someone behind him fell to their knees with a thud.
With someone starting it, the others lost all psychological burdens. One after another, they knelt, prostrating themselves on the ground, none of them daring to move a muscle.
Erich lowered his hand. Frankly, there was no need to kill these people. Killing them would bring him nothing but extra enmity, and he needed to return to Radiant City as quickly as possible. Traveling slowly with the caravan was far too slow.
Thus, he asked, “How did you catch up to me?”
The leader hesitated for a moment before replying, “We set up lookouts in several cities along the route. Once we received word, we used a teleportation array to rush over.”
Erich smiled.
He turned and walked over to the caravan leader, speaking briefly. The leader didn't ask questions, simply nodding in understanding. From the carriage, Carla waved to him. “You're leaving just like that? I wanted to ask you to freeze a few more pieces of meat for me!”
“I'll freeze plenty for you next time.”
Erich called back. He then pulled out his portable magic communicator. He was in luck this time; the signal was actually very stable, and the connection went through quickly.
Isabella's voice came through.
“Erich? Since you're calling so proactively, it seems you're fine.”
“I'm fine. The people chasing me were quite polite. How are things in Radiant City?”
Isabella briefly recounted the recent events, without fabricating any information this time.
Erich hadn't expected his single message to trigger such a massive chain reaction.
It was a feeling he couldn't quite describe. Previously, when he traveled alone with the caravan, he felt as though he were walking in complete solitude toward a city that didn't welcome him. But now, after hearing Isabella's words, he suddenly felt as if someone was waiting to catch him on the other side in Radiant City.
“I understand,” he said. “I'll be there soon.”
Hanging up the communication, he looked at the leader. “Let's go. Which direction is the teleportation array?”
“It's... in a nearby town.”
“Then let's head to that town. Lead the way.” Erich stepped forward and patted the man's shoulder. “Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'm just borrowing the path.”
The man's expression looked more painful than crying, but he still stood up obediently and led Erich toward the teleportation array.
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